MATCH-WINNER: Ivan Forbes

BROMLEY 0 DORCHESTER 1 DORCHESTER ended their Blue Square South season on a high after recording their eighth league victory of the season at Hayes Lane.

Magpies' boss Shaun Brooks handed a first league start to young Australian Mitchell Nicholson who provided a fresh impetus to the attack and provided the well-weighted 63rd minute through ball on to which Ivan Forbes raced to coolly lob Bromley keeper Gareth Williams for the only goal of the match.

At the start of play, Bromley had an outside chance of reaching the play-offs but soon found the going tough against a determined Dorchester rearguard in which Jake Smeaton turned in an outstanding performance.

There was some surprising news for fans before the match though when it was revealed that the contract of midfielder Jon Docker had been terminated by mutual consent.

Docker's place in the starting line-up went to youngster Darren Watts while Mark Jermyn skippered the side and replaced recently departed Jamie Cumming at right-back.

Leading scorer Jones Awuah was passed fit to play but Patrece Liburd only made the substitutes' bench with Roy O'Brien partnering Nathan Peprah-Annan in the centre of defence.

The first chance fell to Bromley when Sam Wood drilled a 25-yard free-kick at the Dorchester wall in the fourth minute.

O'Brien was able to head away but only as far as Luke I'Anson on the 18 yard line who fired wide.

After the initial flurry from the Kent side subsided, play swung decidedly the other way.

An 18-yard shot from Nicholson was saved by Williams who then stopped a Danny Clay effort from further out.

A foul on the lively Forbes presented Dorchester with a good chance 20 yards from goal but Nicholson drove a weak attempt and a slightly stronger follow up shot into the Bromley wall.

Efforts were then blocked from Jamie Gleeson and Watts with the second also deflecting wide.

After all their pressure, Dorch-ester were relieved to see the flag raised for offside as Danny Hockton raced on to a long through ball from skipper Mark Cornielle and a one-on-one with Francisco Ramos.

Back came the Magpies and a cross from Forbes was flicked on by Nicholson to Awuah who steered his low shot wide of the near post.

Awuah went close at the start of the second half when his 20-yard strike was saved on his line by keeper Williams.

The home number one was then forced to beat aside a powerful near post drive from Forbes after a fine lay off from Awuah.

Bromley went close in the 58th minute when a fiercely driven centre just eluded the far post lunge of Cornielle while Watts accepted a fine set-up from Jermyn only to fire over the bar.

Bromley manager Simon Osborn had been spoken to on several occasions but in the 62nd minute, he appeared to be ordered to the terraces by the match referee.

Almost immediately, the Magpies broke the deadlock with Nicholson's inch-perfect ball into the path of Forbes matched by the Portugese winger's exquisite lob into the far corner as Williams raced off his line.

The Magpies nearly doubled their lead when another delightfully well-timed through ball from Nicholson should have put Forbes in the clear but he was unable to control the ball and the chance was lost.

Quick thinking Jerome Sobers pulled off a fine challenge to steal the ball away from Nicholson who would otherwise have had a free shot on goal from Awuah's lay off while Hockton nearly broke through the well-marshalled Dorch-ester defence but was forced wide and his eventual shot was scooped up at his near post by Ramos.

Omari Coleman fired wide for Bromley before Forbes sent a shot over for Dorchester as play swung from end to end in an exciting and most untypical end of season match.

With Bromley still in search of an equaliser, Hockton shaved the outside of the post.

Bromley fans thought they had equalised when Coleman rose with Ramos to meet Wilson's cross but neither made contact and the ball dropped over Ramos into the net.

Fortunately for the Magpies, the referee spotted an infringement by Coleman and awarded a free-kick to Dorchester.

8:46am Monday 28th April 2008

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