DORCHESTER surged to the top of the Blue Square South after an impressive opening day performance against St Albans City at Clarence Park.

After a quiet start to the match, The Magpies took a firm grip on the first half with two clinical strikes from Jamie Gleeson and new-signing Hardy Pinto-Moreira.

City enjoyed more of the second half but Dorchester defended superbly before all three substitutes combined to create the third goal a minute from time with Matt Groves providing the final shot into the roof of the net.

There was little goalmouth excitement from either side in the opening 15 minutes although Jake Smeaton dispossessed Hassan Sulaiman and raced up the left wing before delivering a cross which City's former Spurs full-back Marcel McKie headed to safety over his own crossbar.

The first chance for the home side came on 16 minutes but Paul Bruce's free-kick flew well wide from 30 yards.

Roy O'Brien then found John Docker whose cross - aimed at Charlie Henry - was cleared away for a corner by Leo Roget. John Docker's first corner was cleared for another and the second was punched clear by keeper Nick Eyre.

A superb through ball from Mark Jermyn looked to have set Henry in the clear but he stumbled as he rounded a defender and the chance was lost.

The influential Docker then accepted a lay-off from Henry before drilling a low 25- yard shot which sent Eyre diving to his right to smother.

Another Docker effort was tipped over by Eyre who then safely claimed the resultant James Rowe corner.

As often seems to be the case, the start of the football season is marked by high temperatures and the referee called a brief halt to proceedings on the half-hour for players to enjoy a water break.

The liquid refreshment clearly boosted the Magpies most as in the next 15 minutes they chalked up two memorable goals.

Before the breakthrough, Rowe picked out Henry who beat several defenders before seeing his shot from eight yards saved by Eyre.

But there was nothing that the City keeper could do in the 37th minute when Docker and Henry combined to set up Gleeson whose 20-yard drive flew into the top corner.

Six minutes later a long diagonal ball from Docker found Pinto-Moreira who showed dazzling ball control to single-handedly beat the City defence - striding past three defenders before turning to beat two of them again then finally drilling a low shot from 12 yards between Eyre and his near post.

Dorchester boss Shaun Brooks used three different attacking formations during the match with Elliot Bent replacing goalscorer Pinto-Moreira to join Henry in the 63rd minute before Henry was replaced for the last 10 minutes by Groves whose first contribution was a shot to the near post which was scooped up by Eyre.

It was the combination of all three substitutes that unlocked the City defence again in the 89th minute when Mark Robinson, who had replaced Docker on 76 minutes, supplied the centre which was well controlled by Bent who picked out Groves and he beat Eyre with a fierce shot into the roof of the net off the underside of the crossbar from six yards.