Hill hailed by Vickers (From Dorset Echo)

Hill hailed by Vickers

9:07am Monday 1st March 2010 in

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Dorchester Town boss Ashley Vickers heaped praise on Ryan Hill after the full-back salvaged a point for the Magpies on Saturday with a fabulous late free-kick.

Vickers’ side looked to be heading for their first Blue Square South defeat at the Avenue Stadium in more than three months when Nathaniel Pinney put Woking in front with only seven minutes to go.

However, Hill popped up in the 88th minute with a 30-yard screamer to extend the Magpies’ recent run to just one loss in their last nine outings – both home and away.

And Vickers was delighted with Hill’s crucial contribution. He said: “I know his capabilities at set-pieces, their keeper had taken a knock earlier in the game and I thought if we could get the free-kick near him we might get a lucky ricochet.

“But to see it fly in the way it did was superb and myself and Phil Simkin went mad on the touchline in celebration.

“Ryan has had to be patient as Gary Bowles has been doing ever so well but Gary was ill on Saturday and Ryan took his chance, and I would still be saying that even if he hadn’t scored the goal.

“At set-pieces he’s a real asset to the club and on top of that he’s become a very good defender. He’s worked hard on his fitness and it’s not easy to be out of the side and then come back in and play that well. So he deserves special praise.”

Reflecting on the game as a whole, Vickers felt a draw was the least Dorchester deserved.

He added: “I think it was a fair result and it would’ve been terribly harsh on the lads not to have taken something from the game.

“I’ve never been more pleased for a group of people than I was on Saturday when that equaliser went in. I can’t remember being that overjoyed, even when I was playing.

“It was just reward for the lads’ endeavours. I felt we dominated the first half while Woking just shaded the second, but we definitely deserved something from the game and the spirit in the team is incredible.

“I would have loved three points and if we had nicked a goal in the first half we may have gone from there but it wasn’t to be, and to come back the way we did was fantastic.

“I keep talking about trying to get that extra one or two per cent out of the lads and Saturday was a fine example.”

As well as Gary Bowles, the Magpies were missing striker Jules Emati-Emati for the visit of Woking while fellow forward Ryan Moss was only fit enough for a spot on the bench.

Vickers said: “Mossy was being sick from 3am until 9am on Saturday and looked so pale when he came in that I thought he was an apparition. He wanted to start but he’s an honest lad.

“Jules took a kick to his ankle against Bishop’s Stortford the previous week and it’s heavily bruised.”

Dorchester’s next action sees them travel to St Albans City tomorrow night.

And Vickers added: “We need to rest up and make sure we’re ready for it as we will have to be on our mettle once again.”

BRICK THROWN AT MAGPIES' MATCH

By Dan Goater

POLICE are looking for a football fan who threw a brick at Dorchester Town FC staff during the club’s home match on Saturday.

The Woking FC fan was ejected from the Avenue Stadium by staff after his team scored and he ran onto the pitch.

After being escorted out, the fan picked up a brick and threw it at staff before fleeing the scene. Dorchester FC secretary Dave Martin said no-one was injured during the incident.

He said: “After the fan got onto the pitch during the second half of the match, he was politely asked to leave by a security officer and two stewards. They eventually had to escort him out of the ground through an emergency exit.

“Once he was outside he was seen by our staff picking up a brick which he threw at them.

“He threw the brick at mid-body height, clearly aimed at the stewards, but they had seen it coming and had closed the gate on him.

“He then picked up the brick and threw it at the gate again before running across the car park.

“He ran into the grounds of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses over the road and ran off.”

Mr Martin added: “We were made aware before the match of a group of men who go to Woking away games, that don’t go to home games, who have caused trouble in the past.”

Mr Martin said this was the first time Dorchester FC had played Woking in several years and that they have not had trouble with Woking fans before.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Police were called to the scene after the fan was ejected from the ground.

A Dorset Police spokesman confirmed the man had tried to re-enter the grounds after being kicked out.

The spokesman added: “We had a call from staff at the club just before 5pm saying that a fan had been ejected but then returned to the gate and had caused a disturbance.

“By the time police arrived he had run off. “We’re still looking for the fan and inquiries are continuing.”

The spokesman described the fan as about 5ft 6ins, aged in his 30s, with short dark hair and wearing a khaki jacket, jeans and trainers.

Anyone with information about the suspect should call Dorset Police on 01305 222222 or Crimestoppers.