BIGGLESWADE TOWN 1 DORCHESTER TOWN 0

INIH Effiong netted the only goal of the game at the Carlsberg Stadium to give Biggleswade a 1-0 victory over Dorchester.

Dorchester boss Mark Jermyn made just one change to the side that started the 2-0 defeat of King’s Lynn.

Oakley Hanger was promoted from the bench to replace Nathan Walker at the back, with the latter taking up a position among the substitutes.

The Waders, who hadn’t played for 11 days since losing to Slough, brought in Mark Coulson and Callum Lewis for Gavin Hoyte and Zac Tyrrell.

It was a slow start to proceedings in Bedfordshire as both sides cancelled each other out in the opening 15 minutes.

The visitors had the first sniff of a chance in front of goal when Bradley Tarbuck found some space but fired wide of the target.

Home keeper Ian Brown then had to be on his toes to claim a Liam Sayers effort with Jonah Ayunga ready to pounce.

Tarbuck and Ayunga combined just after the half-hour mark, however the former wasn’t really able to produce a clean finish and Brown gathered.

Just about the closest anyone came to scoring in the first half was Dorchester captain Jake Smeeton, although his header got cleared off the line by a Biggleswade defender.

A Craig Daniel strike represented the Waders’ best chance of beating Alan Walker-Harris in the visitors’ goal before the interval.

Overall, Jermyn’s men were the better team in the first half, it was just their lack of sharpness in the final third that let them down.

They began the second period positively too, Luke Holmes letting fly with a shot that went close.

But the Waders slowly started to get a foothold in the game and Hanger was booked for fouling Sam Merson.

Biggleswade were then celebrating what they thought was the opening goal when Effiong converted after Walker-Harris had spilled the ball.

However, to their frustration and the visitors’ relief, the referee ruled out the goal for a foul.

Both sides decided to make changes as Connor Vincent came on for his Biggleswade debut in place of Merson and Dorchester striker Sayers made way for player-assistant manager Nick Crittenden.

And it wasn’t too long after those substitutions that Effiong got what would prove to be the only goal of the game in the 72nd minute.

The move which led to it started with some good defending from Michael King.

He found Daniel and the midfielder surged at the Dorchester defence before finding Effiong whose shot beat Walker-Harris.

Another caution went to Ayunga for a late challenge on Max York, and then Neil Martin and Jason Brookes replaced Holmes and Ayunga.

Walker-Harris prevented the hots from doubling their advantage late on, while Crittenden had the Magpies’ last chance to salvage a draw deep in injury time but his glancing header went wide.

Biggleswade: Brown, York, Coulson, Lewis, King, Hill, Daniel, Rees, Effiong, Burnett, Merson (Vincent). Subs not used: Allinson, Holmes, Hoyte, Tyrrell.

Magpies: Walker-Harris, Oldring, Smeeton, Nicholls, Hanger, Dillon, Davis, Holmes (Martin), Ayunga (Brookes), Sayers (Crittenden), Tarbuck. Subs not used: Walker, Jermyn.

Bookings: Biggleswade – Effiong, Rees

Magpies – Hanger, Ayunga

Attendance: 108