DORCHESTER TOWN 3

Lanahan 23, Blair 47, 65

TIVERTON TOWN 0

TOM Blair’s well-taken double helped Dorchester Town to a simple 3-0 win over a poor Tiverton Town side in their Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division clash at the Avenue Stadium.

Sam Lanahan headed the Magpies into a first-half lead before substitute Blair twice scored after the interval with a shot on the turn and a diving header.

Magpies’ manager Steve Thompson was able to name an entirely unchanged matchday squad from the 16 that travelled to Weymouth for the Boxing Day derby, with Luke Winsper shaking off a knock and Lanahan able to start after recovering from illness.

Ross Carmichael remained out through unavailability.

Tiverton, meanwhile, named the league’s joint-top scorer Levi Landricombe in their starting XI as the visitors looked to arrest a run of two consecutive away league defeats.

And Tivvy began faster than their opponents, with lively right-back Jamie Short bursting onto a bouncing ball on the right of the Dorchester area before harmlessly lashing a shot across the face of goalkeeper Chris Weale’s goal.

Thereafter Dorchester began to find their feet and had their first effort at goal when Ed Bastick looped a header over the bar from an Antonio Diaz cross.

Tiverton were happy to throw men forward at every opportunity, notably from set-plays to utilise their physical presence, and after a Landricombe volley was deflected behind, Dorchester failed to deal with the low corner, allowing Jamie Price to scuff a shot that produced a smart flying stop from Weale.

After Price was treated for an ankle knock, sustained in giving away a foul, Diaz lofted in a free-kick which was cleared by the Tiverton defence to Winsper, who then floated a cross onto the top of Martin Rice’s crossbar.

But midway through the first half Dorchester struck through the familiar source of Lanahan, following excellent build-up play on the right.

The chief protagonists were Diaz and Kyle Egan, who exchanged passes following a throw-in routine and, although Diaz’s ball to Egan looked to be going out of play, it held up on the heavy Avenue surface, enabling the right-back to chip a cross to the unmarked Lanahan to head home into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

Tiverton should have equalised six minutes later when the industrious Short played in the galloping Ben Mammola on the right, whose subsequent cross was completely mis-kicked by the unmarked Tom Bath from 12 yards.

Diaz, who had been Dorchester’s best player of the half, then worked another move down the right with Egan and, after collecting the right-back’s pass, fired just wide from 20 yards as the Magpies went into the break 1-0 up.

Phil Ormrod was replaced during the interval after sustaining a leg muscle injury, and his replacement Blair impacted upon the game immediately.

Blair was first to react to a ricochet and positioned his body between the ball and onrushing keeper Rice. The winger was then able to turn Rice too easily before swivelling to shoot past two covering Tivvy defenders on the line.

Dorchester might have added a third when Bastick’s shot was deflected to Lanahan, but his effort was bravely blocked at point-blank range by Rice.

Tiverton then made a triple substitution with well over 30 minutes remaining as Owen Irish, Tom Gardner and Tom Bath come off for Callum Hall, Ollie Knowles and Jordan Rogers.

Although the visitors improved, they were restricted to long-range efforts and failed to create a chance before Dorchester added a third on 65 minutes.

More incisive work on the right from Diaz saw him play Egan into the box and the full-back’s lofted cross to the back post was headed into the roof of the net by the diving Blair.

Tiverton continued to press without finding any clear route to goal and after a Magpies’ counter-attack, which was easily dealt with, Knowles kicked the prostrate Blair in the face, with the officials missing the incident.

Knowles, who was lucky to remain on the pitch, then fired straight at Weale as Dorchester comfortably saw out a comprehensive third straight home league win.

Magpies: Weale, Egan, Martin (Clarke 69), Rose, Bowles, Winsper, Bastick (Collins 67), Lowes, Ormrod (Blair 46), Diaz, Lanahan. Subs not used: Jerrard, Panesar-Dower

Tiverton: Rice, Short, Irish (Hall 54), Price, Mammola, Gardner (Knowles 54), Bath (J Rogers 54), S Rogers, Lewington, L Landricombe, M Landricombe. Sub not used: Richards

Referee: Lee Rutter (Poole)

Attendance: 489

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