Magpies' home joy continues (From Dorset Echo)

Magpies' home joy continues

6:46pm Saturday 20th March 2010 in

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Dorchester 4

Moss 31, Groves 36, Ford og 52, Devlin 67

WESTON-S-M 2

Klein-Davies 44, Fortune 63

DORCHESTER Town survived a couple of hairy moments as they stretched their unbeaten home record in Blue Square South to 10 matches.

The Magpies found themselves two goals to the good at the Avenue Stadium through strike partners Ryan Moss and Matt Groves before Weston-super-Mare’s Josh Klein-Davies closed the gap heading into half-time.

The visitors threatened an equaliser at the start of the second period but visiting defender Josh Ford pressed the self-destruct button with a calamitous own goal.

However, the Seagulls fought back to make things interesting with a Clayton Fortune header.

But it was Dorchester’s Steve Devlin who had the final say when he wrapped up a 4-2 win.

The Magpies, unchanged from the previous week’s defeat at Braintree Town, came charging out of the blocks, putting the visitors under immediate pressure.

And with just 20 seconds gone, Devlin outmuscled Tom Evans by the corner flag and dug out a dangerous corner, which Tom Parrinello had to nod behind with Nick Crittenden lurking at the far post.

Unsurprisingly, it was the hosts who mustered the first attempt at goal. However, it was somewhat of a surprise to see Kyle Critchell on the end of it.

The full-back exchanged passes with Devlin, then played a neat one-two with Groves on the edge of the box before visiting keeper Kevin Sawyer dashed hopes of a first goal in black and white for Critchell with a smart stop.

After a 17-minute lull in proceedings, there was a moment of panic in the Dorchester penalty area as former Terra Klein-Davies was left one-on-one with Regan Coward.

However, the Magpies’ gloveman did enough to force the Seagulls’ striker out of harm’s way.

Crittenden drilled just wide of the right-hand post moments later before the deadlock was broken in the 31st minute.

Ryan Hill was the provider with a perfectly delivered free-kick near the right touchline. And his cross was met with purpose by Moss, who headed home his 10th goal of the season.

Coward had to be on his toes three minutes later to keep out a low effort from Klein-Davies.

With the next action of the half, Dorchester opened up a two-goal cushion.

A loose header from Evans fell invitingly on the edge of his own box and Matt Groves punished the error by slotting past a helpless Sawyer.

The Magpies’ top scorer could have grabbed a quick-fire double but only succeeded in deflecting the ball, after Nathan Walker’s prod, away from danger.

Mark Jermyn sent a curling effort narrowly over the top before the Seagulls cut the deficit in half – with a minute to go until the break – thanks to their most threatening player of the afternoon.

Klein-Davies was played in by Darren Mullings and, having been denied by Coward on two occasions already, made it third time lucky.

After finishing the first half on a high, the away side made a positive start to the second with Walker –February’s player of the month – making a vital block on Jermaine Clarke who then headed over from close-range.

Just as they were getting back into the game, the Blue Square South strugglers shot themselves in the foot.

Ford looked set for a regulation clearance following a right-wing cross from Hill, but the Weston defender could only slice the ball into the back of his own net, restoring Dorchester’s two-goal advantage.

The comfort-zone was wiped out once again though, as the Seagulls hit back with midfield giant Fortune heading home Richard Evans’ near-post corner.

Evans then drew a decent save from Coward but back came the Magpies with a breakaway goal in a topsy-turvy half.

Devlin led the charge and picked out Moss on the right side. The home forward shot from 25 yards, Sawyer parried and Devlin tucked home the loose ball via a deflection.

Dorchester’s fourth goal appeared to finally knock the stuffing out of the visitors who had Mullings to thank for preventing a fifth when he cleared off the line in the 85th minute following an in-swinging free-kick from Devlin.

And 4-2 was how it stayed with the Magpies moving onto 42 points – the same number of points they accumulated in the whole of last season – with six games remaining.