ROMSEY TOWN RES 1 DORCHESTER TOWN RES 4

SIMON Evans’ tenure as manager of Dorchester Town’s reserve team got off to the perfect start with a 4-1 defeat of Romsey in the John Stimpson Memorial Shield.

The Magpies scored three times in the second half to secure the points and qualify for the knockout stages of the competition as Group F winners.

It was a rotten night at the Bypass Ground in Hampshire as a Dorchester side featuring a number of under-18 players looked to progress to the quarter-finals.

Going into the game with a far superior goal difference than the hosts meant the visitors knew any sort of victory would see them progress.

They took the lead just before the break through Sam Hurlstone but Romsey equalised soon after to make it 1-1 at half-time.

Romsey put the Magpies under pressure early in the second period, however, Dan Payne, Milo Shackleford and Sam Pashen, who netted from the spot, all scored to earn the win for Evans’ charges.

“The conditions were absolutely horrific and the pitch became a bit of a mudbath towards the end,” said Dorchester assistant manager Neil Mackie.

“We had a very young side out but the lads conducted themselves well, worked hard, and there weren’t too many mistakes.

“We had to defend a bit at the start of the second half but after that it was really all us.”