BOSS Phil Simkin earned his crust, as well as £7,500 for the Magpies, with a brave move in Saturday’s FA Cup triumph over Basingstoke Town.

With just 26 minutes gone, and the visitors firmly on top, the Dorchester Town manager made a double substitution in a bid to counter ’Stoke’s greatest threat and give his men a better chance of victory.

Neil Martin and Lewis Morgan were the ones to make way, being replaced by Arran Pugh and Jamie Symes, and Simkin insists he was forced to take decisive action.

He said: “I feel that if I hadn’t made that decision we would have lost the game. I felt I had to make the changes and I certainly didn’t take any pleasure out of doing it.

“At the end of the day we get paid to get results and we have to get them any way we can.

“I shall speak to the two of them about it and although they will be hurting, I’m sure they will come to realise that it was the right decision.

“It was 50-50 as to whether Lewis and Neil would start as they were a little bit under the weather.

“I gambled, it didn’t come off and I made two substitutions early in the game, which is something I can’t ever remember doing before.

“I just felt that with Delano Sam-Yorke down the right we were going to concede if I didn’t do something.

“It’s no reflection on Neil or Lewis as players. Neil has been outstanding for us this season and we forget sometimes that Lewis is only 18 and has just come out of the Dorset Premier League.”

The Magpies, who saw Jamie Gleeson hit the winning goal, will discover their fourth qualifying round opponents later today.