Magpies: Phillips double makes it five without a win for Dorchester

MARK Jermyn was quick to accept that his team selection for Dorchester’s long trip to the Glass World Stadium in Histon “didn’t come off”.

The Magpies’ chief admitted he used the Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division to “have a look at certain people”.

Mark Irvine, Oakley Hanger and Jason Brookes were given starts as the likes of Jamie Gleeson, Dan Smith and Ben Watson were either on the bench or sat out the game altogether.

And the result never really seemed to be in doubt after Andrew Phillips put the home side ahead on 18 minutes.

Danny Kelly added a second just before half-time and Phillips netted again on the hour mark to finish off the visitors.

Jermyn said: “It wasn’t great by any stretch of the imagination.

“We brought in three players that hadn’t started in recent weeks and they did okay in spells, but unfortunately football is a tough business.

“It was a good chance to see certain individuals and how they react, and I thought Mark Irvine had a good game. But it wasn’t a great day and I take responsibility for the starting line-up. I chose it and did it to have a look at certain people.

“Like I’ve said before, we’re doing this with next season in mind, though I’m not writing this season off by any means.

“Maybe if we had started with arguably our strongest team the game might have gone a bit differently for us. We did what we did to look at players and it didn’t come off.”

He added: “Since me and Nick took over we have done well in large parts, but there have probably been two games, Cambridge being one of them, we’ve been really disappointed with.”

There were four changes in all to the Dorchester starting line-up from the previous weekend’s draw at Corby. Dual-registered midfielder Ashley Nicholls came into the team with Sam Lanahan dropping to the bench.

It was all Cambridge in the opening stages and Phillips broke the deadlock when he stabbed the ball home from close range after good work by Kelly.

A pinpoint pass from Phillips almost put Kelly in on goal but the ball was taken off his feet by a Dorchester defender.

The chances kept coming for the hosts and both Buster Harradine and Adam Murray sent efforts just over the crossbar.

In complete control of the game, Cambridge then had a half-hearted penalty appeal waved away by the officials, before some neat footwork by Matt Lowe led to a shot which flew just past the post.

It only seemed a matter of time before the second City goal arrived, and crucially for them it came on the stroke of half-time.

Josh Dawkin found Kelly with a lovely through ball and the striker made no mistake.

The second half was only a few minutes old when the Dorchester management team rung the changes, with Brookes and Hanger off for Smith and Lanahan.

Magpies’ skipper Jake Smeeton then sent a free-kick just wide with a rare effort on the City goal.

And Dorchester’s slim hopes of a recovery were dealt a fatal blow when Phillips made it 3-0. After making inroads in the visitors’ box, Phillips fired a superb dipping shot over Alan Walker-Harris from a narrow angle.

And a fourth goal would have been scored had it not been for the Dorchester keeper.

The closest the Magpies did come to scoring was when Nathan Walker struck the woodwork following a well-worked set-piece.

At the other end, Phillips sensed the possibility of a hat-trick and he would have got one but for Walker-Harris, who denied the City forward a third.

So, county town player-boss Jermyn certainly has food for thought ahead of tomorrow's derby against Poole at the Avenue.

It is more than likely he will bring the regulars back for the showdown with his former club, though Jermyn himself won’t be playing, while the same goes for Matt Oldring.

Hanger picked up a knock against Cambridge and could be a doubt, while Nicholls is set to feature once more.

With the other sides at the bottom of the table also losing on Saturday, Dorchester are still eight points above the bottom three with four games left.

A win tomorrow and defeat for Arlesey would guarantee Dorchester’s league status for next season.