NICK Crittenden saluted the fighting spirit Dorchester’s players showed as they staged a dramatic comeback to beat Chippenham in the FA Trophy.

The Magpies were facing an early exit from the competition when they trailed 1-0 going into the last few minutes of the first qualifying round tie at the Avenue.

But Ben Watson and Matt Oldring stepped forward to find the net late on and secure a sensational victory for the hosts, which also netted them £2,700.

“Their goal was a blow but it just shows the character of the lads,” said player-assistant manager Crittenden.

“We’ve got a young side and they just don’t know when they’re beaten. They showed that character to come back from a goal down against an experienced team at home in the FA Trophy.

“It was a big game for this club because obviously we rely on the revenue that the cup runs bring in. We’re really proud of every single one of them.

“As a community-owned club we need as much prize money as we can get. We didn’t try to put too much pressure on the boys but they knew how big the game was for the sustainability of the club.”

On leaving it late, he added: “We had that feeling away at Chesham when we won it in the last minute with Jonah’s (Ayunga) goal.

“And there’s no better feeling than to get a last-minute winner, whether you’re playing in the Premier League or the Dorset Senior League.

“It’s the best way to win a match and gives the boys that momentum to take into Saturday when we’ve got another home match.”

The draw for the second qualifying round takes place today.