DORCHESTER TOWN RES 6 WIMBORNE TOWN RES 1

LEWIS Horsburgh got his Dorchester career off to a perfect start with four of the reserve team’s goals in their 6-1 thrashing of Wimborne at the Avenue.

The club’s new striker was joined on the scoresheet by defender Craig Michie, while the visitors’ Ryan Johnson put through his own net to further help the hosts’ cause.

Dorchester remain fourth in the Wyvern League Premier Division after the win, 10 points behind joint leaders Team Solent and Sholing, though they do have three games in hand on both.

It was a comfortable victory for the home side in the end but they did have to come from a goal down following Ant Waters’ early strike.

Horsburgh and David Jerrard went close to equalising before the former did level with a lovely strike over Wimborne keeper Ben Field from the edge of the box.

Jerrard and Ryan Murray were then denied by Field in quick succession, while Waters fired over at the other end.

As ever, the next goal would be key, and it was Horsburgh who got it.

The centre forward accepted a pass from Alex Godfrey, drove towards goal, and then slotted a shot past Field to make it 2-1.

There was still enough time left in the first half for Horsburgh to complete his hat-trick.

After Michie and Luke Woodland narrowly missed the target, Horsburgh turned in Jason Brookes’ cross to the far post.

Wimborne, one place off the bottom of the league, had to score first in the second half to stand any chance of staging a comeback.

However, when a Horsburgh shot hit the post and rebounded off Johnson and into the net, the game was all but over.

It got worse for the visitors when Horsburgh’s smart finish gave him his fourth and Dorchester’s fifth.

Michie then headed in a Brandon Huckstepp corner to round off an excellent evening’s work for Jay Keating and Neil Mackie’s side.

A paperwork glitch prevented Horsburgh from being involved with the first team last Saturday, but with that sorted the frontman made a big statement ahead of the Magpies’ clash with Redditch this weekend.

The reserves are in action again next Tuesday when they host bottom club Bemerton Heath Harlequins.

Magpies: Lucas, Williams, Michie, Godfrey (Old), Bush, Brookes (Walters), Murray (Huckstepp), Jerrard, Horsburgh, Woodland, Parrett. Subs not used: Pashen, Giles