MAIDENHEAD UNITED 1

DORCHESTER TOWN 3

TWO goals from Brandon Goodship helped the Magpies clinch three precious Skrill South points at York Road on Saturday – a result that lifted them off the foot of the table.

Dorchester, with only one league win to their name all season, took the lead in the 36th minute through captain Mark Jermyn’s sweetly struck drive.

They doubled their advantage two minutes later when loan signing Goodship nodded home after Josh Wakefield’s shot was parried.

Maidenhead rallied in the second half and manager John-son Hippolyte’s son Jonathan pulled a goal back, but Dorchester sealed the win late on with a stunning volley from Goodship which went in off the underside of the bar.

You couldn’t fault the app-lication from either side and United were unlucky not to take something from the game having hit the woodwork three times.

The hosts began brightly with new signing Jacob Erskine finding Maidenhead’s wide men in threatening positions, and in the 10th minute he flicked a ball to Harry Pritchard whose low drive was deflected off target.

Reece Tison-Lascaris was then unlucky to see his shot from distance clip the top of the crossbar and Erskine almost got a debut goal when he turned Ashley Vickers but goalkeeper Alan Walker-Harris got down well to save.

Dorchester gave notice of their intent when Nick Crittenden dragged a low shot wide early on before they took the lead when Jermyn side-stepped Adrian Clifton and powered an unstoppable drive from 20 yards past Elvijs Putnins.

The visitors then broke from a Maidenhead corner and Wake-field waltzed into the left side of the hosts’ penalty area, his low shot was blocked but Goodship followed up to head the ball home – cue delirium among the Dorchester fans, who tipped a bin on to the pitch as they celebrated.

Trailing to Jermyn and Goodship’s goals, Maidenhead came out fighting after the break and were unlucky not to unpick Dorchester’s defence on several occasions.

Walker-Harris denied Tison-Lascaris with a reflex save and then Michael Malcolm’s powerful shot hit the underside of the bar but stayed out.

United continued to press and got their reward when Hippolyte swept home fellow substitute Malcolm’s cross.

However, with two minutes of normal time left, Goodship had the final say with a volley worthy of winning any match.

The striker peeled off the back of Matt Ruby on to a long punt forward and lashed a brilliant volley over the head of Putnins and in off the crossbar.

Dorchester’s fans sang ‘we are staying up’ at the final whistle and few who were at York Road on Saturday would doubt them after such a committed per-formance.

Maidenhead: Putnins, Behzadi, Solomon, Ahmidi, Ujah, Ruby, Green, Clifton, Erskine (Mendy 65), Tison-Lascaris (Hippolyte 80), Pritchard (Malcolm 74). Subs not used: Khosrowshahi, Pegler.

Magpies: Walker-Harris, Bell, Smeeton, Jermyn, Vickers, Brooks, Crittenden, Wakefield, Goodship, Gleeson, Rowley (Beasley 81). Subs not used: Munday, Twyford, Rolls, Jevon.

Attendance: 301

*A young Magpies reserves side crashed out of the Dorset Senior Trophy after South Cheriton came from 4-1 down to win 5-4 at the Avenue.

Goals from Luke Woodland, Alex Godfrey, Jason Kennard and Jack Jones put the Magpies in the clear but when Sam Smith missed a penalty, the away side hit back in spectacular fashion.