Magpies: Dorchester draw a blank with the Duns

DORCHESTER Town played out their second successive home stalemate as they failed to break through a resolute Dunstable defence at the Avenue.

Both sides had good opportunities to find the net and also had goals chalked off either side of the interval by referee William Bull’s assistants.

Magpies’ chief Mark Jermyn’s hand was forced before kick off as Neil Martin revealed to fans hours before the game that he was set to miss out with a hamstring problem.

He tweeted: “Hate being injured, Saturdays aren't the same,” on the morning of the contest.

That meant that assistant-manager Nick Crittenden, who impressed during the goalless draw against Frome Town in midweek, returned to the county town club’s starting XI.

Mark Irvine also claimed a starting spot and Matt Oldring missed out of the squad altogether.

There was still no place for frontman Jonah Ayunga in the Magpies’ 16-man group. Charlie Davis was named on the bench as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

The Duns, who battled out a goalless draw with Weymouth last Saturday, came into the contest having sealed a dramatic 2-1 win over Biggleswade on Tuesday night with Shane Blackett netting their winner in stoppage time.

He did not feature among their ranks as a handful of the visiting squad were forced to warm-up in quick time having been stuck in traffic en route to the ground.

The last time these sides met was in February when the Magpies came back from 3-1 down to win 5-3 thanks to goals from Ben Watson, Jake Smeeton, Sam Lanahan and a Bradley Tarbuck brace.

And this time round Dorchester were nearly off and running inside the opening two minutes.

A sweeping ball from Oakley Hanger found Tarbuck on the opposite flank, he put the ball inside to Watson, whose shot was charged down.

In the same spell, the ball eventually worked its way out to Crittenden on the right flank. His cross found the head of Tony Lee but the frontman could not keep his effort down under pressure from six yards.

Gary Wharton, who looked lively coming off the bench against Weymouth for the Blues the previous week, then fired narrowly over after latching on to a ball from deep.

Lee then burst into the area and saw his shot blocked once again after Dillon’s header fell just wide.

The Magpies piled on the pressure in the opening 15 minutes and Jermyn almost helped his side take the lead they deserved.

He headed back into the danger zone into the path of Jake Smeeton, who couldn’t quite get the touch required to find the opener.

Dorchester seemed well in control but, on 25 minutes, they were given a let-off.

The Duns worked the ball well to Danny Talbot on the edge of the box, his fierce strike was beaten away by goalkeeper Alan Walker-Harris, and Christopher Marsh’s follow-up was flagged offside by referee’s assistant Joanna Stimpson.

At the other end, Tarbuck then fluffed his lines to make it 1-0 after he failed to get a touch on Crittenden’s ball to the back post.

Former Yeovil man Crittenden then stabbed the ball off his own goal line minutes later as Dunstable’s James Kaloczi headed Talbot’s delivery at goal just short of the break.

Following the interval Adam Hawkins drove wide for the visitors after being teed up nicely by Mason Spence and Jermyn slid in to put the ball narrowly past the post from a Magpies’ corner.

A big talking point then occurred when Crittenden, who continued to cause problems, then thought he had scored from an almost impossible angle after chasing down a loose ball.

His effort across goal finished in the net after taking a ricochet, but assistant Damian Pelka believed the ball had crossed the line for a goal-kick.

Crittenden then danced his way around three Duns’ defenders inside the area, and saw his rasping attempt blocked by the last man.

The Duns then showed their threat once more as Charlie Smith forced a sharp save from Walker-Harris to his right, and from the resulting corner, the stopper pushed Talbot’s header at the far post to safety.

Davis was then introduced in place of Irvine for Jermyn’s men as the hosts searched for a winner in the final 15 minutes but it was not to be as the game finished goalless.

Magpies: Walker-Harris, Crittenden, Smeeton, Jermyn, Hanger, Dillon, Tarbuck, Morgan, Lee, Watson, Irvine (Davis 74). Subs not used: Brookes, Murphy, Old, Woodland.

Dunstable: Bastock, Reynolds, Plowright, Kaloczi, Pennell, Hawkins, Spence (Ferrari 78), Wharton, Smith, Marsh. Subs not used: Leslie, Fontanelle.

Bookings: Magpies – Morgan (foul, 76)

Dunstable - None

Referee: William Bull (Winchester)

Attendance: 228