Dorchester boss left flabbergasted after shock victory (From Dorset Echo)

Dorchester boss left flabbergasted after shock victory

9:00am Monday 11th February 2013 in Local Sport By Adam Summers

PHIL Simkin was left flabbergasted by his side’s relentless work-rate in Saturday’s shock victory over title-chasing Salisbury City.

The Blue Square Bet South leaders arrived at the Avenue Stadium overwhelming favourites but the Magpies put on a tireless display of resistance to pick up a 2-1 victory – only their second success in their last 14 games in all competitions.

Simkin has often heralded his side’s spirit and fitness this season but even he had to admit afterwards that this latest display went over and beyond anything that has gone before.

He told Echosport: “Jason Matthews was back to his early season form between the posts but to be honest there could have been 11 or 12 man-of-the-match awards out there.

“The amount of running the lads had to do just to stay in the game was absolutely incredible.”

Full-time Salisbury dominated for long periods but came up against a rearguard action of the highest order and some clinical finishing from Jake Smeeton and Ben Watson.

Simkin added: “We said at half-time that the result would be about whether we could match their fitness in the second half because of their full-time training and we did exactly that.

“With Ashley Nicholls (foot), Mark Jermyn (ankle) and Lewis Morgan (groin) all out injured, we were really down to the bare bones but we just kept going and going on an awful playing surface and somehow managed to hold on.

“I must have written out 20 different line-ups on the morning of the game but in the end I decided to match them up 4-4-2 and put Jake Smeeton (pictured below) in the centre of midfield with Jamie Gleeson.

“Jake is a winner and both him and Glees just worked away all afternoon.

“Nathan Walker was also outstanding and it was only when he was off the pitch receiving treatment that they scored.

“Everyone just worked their socks off. Ben Watson never stopped chasing and to see Nick Crittenden running up and down the length of such a heavy pitch relentlessly for the full 90 minutes, at the age of 34, was just fantastic.

“It was one of those games where everyone needed to perform in order for us to come away with something and that is what they did.

“It is three points we didn’t expect to get and it will be interesting to see just how important they turn out to be at the end of the season.”

The victory has lifted the Magpies up to 13th in the table but they are still only three points above the bottom three.

Next up is a trip to Bath City tomorrow night (7.45pm) when the county town outfit could have two new forwards in the squad.

Simkin said: “We are hoping to have a couple of new strikers on board for the trip to Bath – one a loan signing and one a permanent signing.

“We still have 18 games left which is frightening really at this stage of the season and we cannot just keep asking the same lads to do it over and over again.

“There is also a chance Ashley Nicholls could make it tomorrow but we will just have to wait and see. I am certainly not going to rush him.”

UPDATE: Truro City have announced via Twitter that striker Kieffer Moore is to sign for the Magpies. More to follow soon.

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