NEW Dorchester Town manager Steve Thompson praised his troops for a "thoroughly deserved" 1-0 Evo Stik Southern League Premier win at Dunstable Town. 

After a goalless first-half which saw few chances created, Lanahan popped up in the 48th minute to apply the finishing touch to a driven Luke Winsper cross. 

Thompson, who earns a victory in the first game of his tenure, told Echosport that his side should have added to their tally due to their "domination" of the game, despite missing five players. 

He said: "I was pleased because we had some difficulty in terms of five players being unavailable and we have been able to get away with it. 

"I'm very pleased with the effort from the lads, it was thoroughly deserved. We should probably have had two or three with our domination of the game, but I'm not going to get carried away."

Commenting on Lanahan's performance, Thompson said the returning midfielder "could have had a hat-trick".

He said: "It was a great ball from Neil Martin and Sam was in the six-yard box. He could have had a hat-trick but I'm pleased that he's got one that really matters to us."

Magpies' boss Thompson made two changes to the side that lost 4-1 to Frome last time out, with Lanahan and Tom Blair returning to the starting XI in place of captain Gary Bowles, who was absent from the squad altogether, and Chris Clarke, who dropped to the bench.

Striker Tom Bearwish returned to the matchday reckoning with a place on the bench, while Ollie Griggs, Jamie Beasley, Jon Vance, Phil Ormrod and David Jerrard missed out completely. 

Dorchester created the first chance of the game, with Lanahan’s header desperately cleared off the line before Ross Carmichael sent his effort from the rebound marginally off target. 

With the two sides level at the break, Lanahan got the crucial breakthrough just three minutes after the restart. 

Martin's cross found Winsper and his strong pass picked out Lanahan, who completed an easy finish from close range. 

Dorchester's day soured slightly when winger Ed Bastick was stretchered off with an ankle injury, but his replacement Tom Bearwish, himself returning from an ankle knock, almost doubled the Magpies' advantage but he skewed an effort wide from 18 yards. 

With Dunstable offering little going forward, the Magpies nearly added a second but Jordan Storey's well-directed header was pawed away by home goalkeeper Will Henry. 

Shortly afterwards, Billy Lowes poked a harmless effort at goal and Henry was again called into action when he stopped a goalbound Lanahan header. 

During six minutes of injury time Dunstable pressed for a leveller but couldn't find a way past stand-in skipper Chris Weale, who kept a clean sheet for the first time since mid-August as the Magpies collected three points for only the second time this season. 

Dunstable Town: Henry, Collins, Okito, Barnett, Sonuga, Betts, Young, Makuendi, Ladipo, Amu, Hudson

Subs: Odusoga, Aji, Trif, Chidyausiku, Ogden

Magpies: Weale, Egan, Martin, Carmichael, Storey, Winsper, Bastick (Bearwish 61), Lowes, Jevon (Panesar-Dower 68), Lanahan (Clarke 90+4), Blair

Subs not used: Ross, Corbridge

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