DORCHESTER Town manager Steve Thompson lauded the defensive work of his team as the Magpies collected a second successive away Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division clean sheet with a 0-0 draw against Hitchin Town at Top Field.

On-loan Bournemouth striker Ash Pope had Dorchester’s best moment of the game, his shot scraping the crossbar after eight minutes.

The Magpies created several half-chances, as did Hitchin, but both sides ultimately cancelled each other out as their respective defences prevailed.

And Thompson noted the improvement throughout of the season of his back four, who were shorn of centre-back Callum Rose with knee tendonitis.

He told Echosport: “I thought we played quite well and defended well, but we lacked a little bit of quality in the final third.

“I felt we were much the better team in the second half and could’ve won the game. The work ethic has bene very good since I came in – the lads have got a lot fitter. We defended a lot better because we have that attitude.

“I’m pleased with the performance and felt that if any team deserved to win it, it was us.

He added: They put in another shift which is what I expect and they’ve been doing that for most of the season.

“I do feel we’re working together better as units and have looked a lot more solid defensively, even if the goals have dried up a bit.”

Hitchin beat Dorchester 4-1 in December and Thompson was impressed with the Magpies’ improvement since then.

He said: “We’re a better team now than we were then, although we had some good results around that time, it’s swings and roundabouts. We’re more consistent now.

“We played 4-3-3 for the first time this season but ironically it ends 0-0.”

Meanwhile, Dorchester Town Reserves reached the final of the John Stimpson Memorial Trophy with an excellent 2-0 win over Salisbury Development at the Avenue Stadium, thanks to a superb Ben Morris strike and a Sol Ayunga free-kick.