DORCHESTER TOWN 2

Way 14, Crittenden 90+2

CHELMSFORD CITY 0

THE wait is over for Dorchester after goals from Dan Way and Nick Crittenden earned them their first Skrill South victory of the season.

Way, 18, making his first senior start, scored on 14 minutes and Crittenden sealed the all-important triumph with a strike in injury time.

However, this victory was built from the back with towering performances from central defenders Steve Walker and Arran Pugh, while keeper Alan Walker-Harris made an out-standing save early in the second period.

Full-backs Dan Green and Neil Martin were also superb as the county town side bagged their first three points of a difficult campaign so far.

The Magpies were looking to improve on their home record where they had conceded 15 goals in four games.

Boss Phil Simkin made two changes from the defeat to Bishop’s Stortford last week with Walker-Harris replacing Tim Sandercombe between the sticks and Way coming in for Harry Bell in midfield.

Jake Smeeton was named on the bench, along with Bell, Jack Twyford, Will Gape and Sandercombe.

Before kick-off, Mark Jermyn was presented with a silver plate to recognise his record-breaking 586th appearance for the Magpies.

The hosts started with intent with Aristide Bassele shooting straight at Chelmsford keeper Carl Pentney in the first minute.

The Clarets then went straight up the other end and former Magpie Charlie Henry saw his effort saved by home keeper Walker-Harris.

The visitors were starting to have the bigger say and Bagasan Graham went on a mazy run before being upended on the edge of the box. Fortunately the resultant free-kick came to nothing.

Henry, who was very lively on the left side of midfield for City, then had a blistering shot blocked by Walker-Harris and from the rebound, Robert Edmans could only head over the bar.

However, it was the Magpies who made the breakthrough when teenager Way slid in to finish off a fine move from Ben Watson on 14 minutes.

After a lull in proceedings, Arran Pugh was forced to dive in and deny City’s Tom Derry on the half-hour.

Chelmsford were knocking on the door at this stage without really creating too many clear-cut chances in what was a fairly open game.

Bassele, who was making himself a nuisance out wide on the right, was booked by referee Andrew Laver on 36 minutes after committing one foul too many.

The visitors were forced to make a change when David Rainford replaced the injured Tom Davis and then saw captain Mark Hughes booked for a foul.

The Clarets were lively at the start of the second period and Walker-Harris made an incredible one-handed save to deny Derry and push his effort around a post.

The county town side then hit the visitors on the counter-attack with Crittenden blasting over in what was even start to the second period.

The names of Lewis Morgan, Arran Pugh and City’s Jide’s Maduako went into the referee’s book before Jermyn nearly crowned his big day with an effort that just went wide of a post.

Maduako then saw his header fly over the bar before Watson headed wide at the other end.
Then a combination of good home defending and bodies in the box, denied Bagasan Graham on 71 minutes.

Eight minutes later, Neil Martin was the county town hero when he made an exceptional block to keep out a City effort.

Crittenden then collected a poor kick from visiting keeper Pentney and found Tywford, who blasted over the crossbar.

In a frantic finish, Sam Long brushed the far post for City before Crittenden sealed the victory with a fine finish from 10 yards after being found by Dan Green to the relief of the Avenue faithful.