UNCERTAINTY reigns at the Avenue Stadium as Dorchester Town go in search of a new manager and assistant-manager after a turbulent year both on and off the pitch.

Mark Jemyn and Nick Crittenden both announced their resignation in December following a 3-3 draw with Kings Lynn. Their last game was on Boxing Day against Weymouth, a fitting send-off for two of the Magpies’ finest stalwarts.

However, back in January it seemed like the pair would be duelling for a place in the National League South as they started 2016 battling it out for a play-off spot.

There were back-to-back wins for the county town side to get the year off to a brilliant start as they were victorious against Frome Town and Cambridge City in 3-0 wins.

The win over Cambridge proved to be the last goal for Jonah Ayunga as he left the Avenue for Championship outfit Brighton & Hove Albion for what was described as “potentially the biggest receipt in the club’s history” on Deadline Day.

It was a huge move for the 18-year-old teenager, who had only signed for Dorchester in the summer. Since then he has been trying to prove himself in the development squad for the Seagulls, going on to have a loan spell with Burgess Town later in the year.

Not only did Ayunga move to a professional club, but the talented striker also earned his first international call-up to the Kenyan national side in the autumn.

Despite a short career, the Beaminster-born attacker scored seven goals in 31 appearances, making a big impact at the Avenue.

Back on the pitch, Dorchester won one – against Chesham United – and lost one, to Dunstable Town, to round off the month of January.

With Ayunga gone, goals had to come from other places. As February rolled around, Luke Holmes filled the void with a goal in a 1-1 draw against Cirencester Town before their hopes for a high league finish were dented by Slough Town in a 2-1 defeat – Matt Oldring on the scoresheet after the dismissal of Charlie Davis.

Jermyn’s men did pick up a huge 4-2 victory away to Merthyr Town before they were humbled by Kettering Town.

They finished the month off with a morale-boosting win, a 1-0 success over St Neots Town – a win that proved to be their last at home until mid-October.

As March got started, the Magpies were in Dorset Senior Cup action against their arch-rivals Weymouth. They were unable to reach the final as the Terras thrashed them 5-1 at the Bob Lucas Stadium, but Jermyn said the defeat had “no impact on his side”.

They brought in Henry Lander on loan from AFC Bournemouth and Gary Bowles, but neither could prevent the Magpies losing two on the bounce against Hitchin Town and Bideford. A victory against King’s Lynn was followed by a double header against Leamington. Wins were needed to keep up their hopes of the play-offs, however, that was soon dashed as the county town side lost both encounters against the Brakes. Another defeat, this time at the hands of Biggleswade, frustrated the fans but, they did end the month with a win away to Bideford that including a brilliant brace from Davis, a player that was showing his worth at the Avenue.

With very little to play for during April, the Magpies fell to three defeats in five games, winning just once, that coming in a 2-1 victory over Stratford Town with goals coming from Toby Holmes and Davis.

The Magpies finished the 2015-2016 season mired in mid-table with 67 points and the off-season started ominously as the club announced the end of their Park & Ride partnership meaning a reduction to their playing budget.

This led to an exodus of sorts as Toby and Luke Holmes both left for Wimborne whilst Davis left to join rivals Weymouth. Also leaving the club was Alan Walker-Harris, Oakley Hanger, who went to America on a scholarship.

The biggest exit was Franklyn Clarke. The midfielder, who had become a cult figure at the club after scoring against the Terras on Boxing Day, left to sign a professional deal with National League outfit York City.

Shane Murphy, Oldring and Walker all re-signed and the county town side also brought in Ben Wood from Bideford as well as Mario Mateus from Paulton Rovers.

The new recruits along with the old guard made a terrible start to the season, rooted to the bottom of the table after three straight losses to start the season, a run that included a harrowing 4-0 loss at the hands of newly-promoted Cinderford Town – a side that didn’t want to go into the Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division.

With pressure mounting on the manager and assistant Crittenden telling Echosport that the Magpies were in a relegation fight. Results did improve with a draw against Cirencester Town and a much-needed win away to Banbury United. They then lost to Cambridge City before they ended the month with a 2-1 defeat to Weymouth despite a wonderful free-kick from Eastleigh loanee Tony Lee.

The loan players helped what was a small squad as the year ended and Ollie Bassett proved to be a huge hit. He made his debut in a 4-0 trouncing of Frome Town, a win that included a perfect hat-trick from makeshift striker Walker.

The win brought an improved month for the Magpies as they picked up two more wins over Hayes & Yeading United, this at the start of October, and St Neots Town to improve their league standing. They were also knocked out of the FA Cup by Banbury in a poor display at the Avenue, something that did nothing to improve the finances at the club.

October saw a bumper 10 games and, after the win away to Hayes & Yeading, Dorchester only picked up one other victory, this against Frome.

It also included a rather embarrassing 10-0 defeat to Salisbury in the Southern League Cup but November and December saw an upturn in form that coincided with the return of Clarke from York.

Despite the positive results, the departure of Jermyn, who racked up his 700th appearance for the side in December, will leave a long shadow over the club heading into the new year.

His last game finished with a 1-1 draw with rivals Weymouth in front of 2,033 at the Avenue.

The new man in charge will have a difficult job on his hands in 2017 with tight budget constraints and a small, if valiant, squad that will need some work if they are to thrive in the Southern Premier League.