UPDATE WITH PICTURES AND VIDEO: Magpies: Nathan Walker strike wins it for dogged Dorchester Town

Holmes 3, Walker 62

CHESHAM UNITED 1

Gator 10

NATHAN Walker was Dorchester Town’s match-winner as the hosts battled to a hard-earned victory over Chesham United.

Luke Holmes’ early strike had given the Magpies the lead at the Avenue before Joe Gator equalised for the Generals.

The game was just over an hour old when Walker turned in a Charlie Davis corner.

Holmes and Liam Sayers earned places in the Dorchester starting line-up, with Ben Watson dropping to the bench and Jonah Ayunga missing out altogether.

And Holmes needed no time make his mark on the game, finding the net inside the first three minutes.

A Chesham defender tried to head clear a high ball into his own box but only managed to knock it straight into Holmes’ path.

The midfielder had the relatively easy task of converting from close range past United keeper Shane Gore.

But the visitors were level seven minutes later, their equaliser resulting from a mistake by home keeper Alan Walker-Harris.

Walker headed away Sam Youngs’ initial corner but when the ball came back in Walker-Harris dropped it straight to Gator.

The defender showed no hesitation in stabbing the ball home from no more than three yards out.

Walker-Harris then produced a comfortable save in dealing with Kelvin Bossman’s header, while at the other end there was a great opportunity for the hosts when Holmes found Neil Martin in space.

Martin’s drilled centre across the six-yard box was screaming out to be put away but it eluded Sayers, Walker and Matt Oldring in the middle.

That came midway through the first period and it has to be said that from then until half-time there was very little to get the juices flowing.

The two keepers didn’t really had a save to make and most of the action took place between the two penalty areas.

Dorchester suffered a blow just minutes into the second half.

Tracking back to make a tackle on Bossman, Martin went down injured and there was a lengthy hold up in play while he received treatment.

Martin was unable to continue and Watson entered the fray after the former had been stretchered off.

But the Magpies didn’t let Martin’s injury affect them and soon after they were celebrating a second goal of the afternoon.

Davis’ first corner was met by the head of Chris Dillon and would have dropped in had it not been for the fingertips of Gore.

However, when a charging Walker got on the end of Davis’ second attempt, Gore had no chance.

County town player-boss Mark Jermyn then decided to push Walker back into defence alongside Dillon and Oldring, before bringing himself off the bench to sit in front of the back three.

Things then got a bit heated as Chesham felt they should have had a penalty when Ryan Blake went down in the box, before Nick Beasant lunged in on Davis, prompting a bit of pushing and shoving.

Even though Chesham didn’t pose much of a threat, at 2-1 and with around 15 minutes to go any outcome was still possible.

Dorchester defended well in the latter stages when United tried to apply pressure, and Davis never stopped running in the middle of the park.

The extra energy of Watson and Oakley Hanger’s dalliances forward gave the hosts a good out ball when needed, while Jason Brookes replaced Holmes with a few minutes remaining.

Martin’s earlier injury meant the Magpies had to see out six minutes of added on time, but they did it manfully, digging in right to the end to pick up a deserved three points.

Magpies: Walker-Harris, Hanger, Smeeton, Clarke, Oldring, Dillon, Davis, Holmes (Brookes 86), Walker, Sayers (Jermyn 67), Martin (Watson 58). Subs not used: Crittenden, S Ayunga.

Chesham: Gore, Gator, Little (Taylor 87), Beasant (Smith 83), Fenton, Martin, Pearce, Youngs (Hamilton-Forbes 90+6), Blake, Bossman, Wilson. Subs not used: Hayles, Nolan.

Bookings: Magpies – None

Chesham – None

Referee: Robert Dabbs (Weymouth)

Attendance: 434