Dorchester TOWN 1 NEWPORT COUNTY 0 MAGPIES super-sub Justin Keeler left the bench in the 77th minute and just two minutes later fired the only goal of an untidy encounter at the Avenue Stadium last night.

Keeler turned in Juan Ugarte's shot at the near post after former Swanea City keeper Roger Freestone made a rare mistake and dropped the ball at the Spaniard's feet.

Until that moment the game was

finely balanced with play swinging from end to end.

Until Freestone's error, both keepers had been in impressive form.

Freestone was first into action racing out to clear a back pass from Andrew Thomas to prevent Simon Radcliffe

capitalising.

Next it was Carl Bradshaw's turn to impress when he dived smartly to his left to get his fingertips to a low drive by Ashley Williams.

Then Williams, at the other end, let in Ugarte whose shot beat Freestone but flew wide.

Panic

Joseba Barandiaran and Ugarte combined to create a chance for leading scorer Matt Groves whose bullet header was pushed aside by Freestone.

There was panic in the Magpies penalty area on the half hour when Alex Browne lost possession to John Phillips and no one in a black and white shirt seemed able to clear the danger.

Phillips played a one-two with Jonathan Coates then unleashed a shot which Bradshaw parried. The loose ball was returned by Jason Bowen to the danger area when eventually Jamie Brown hoofed clear.

With calm restored, play swung to the Newport area where a foul by Williams on Barandiaran conceded a free-kick which Freestone saved to frustrate Brown.

Then Ugarte sent a 20-yard drive over the bar.

Newport looked lively in the second half and dominated the opening exchanges. First Williams fired wide then from Bowen's deep cross, Jamie Moralee slipped his marker but dragged the ball wide of goal.

Former Magpie Scott Morgan's

snap-shot was well read by Bradshaw who went on to win the sponsors'

man of the match award for a sound display.

At the other end, Freestone dived again to turn a fierce drive from Ugarte around the post.

Then from an Andy Harris centre, Gary MIddleton scooped the ball over the bar.

But the breakthrough came in the 79th minute when Freestone attempted to punch Brown's ball in the box and succeeded in giving the ball to Ugarte whose shot was diverted into the net by a jubilant Keeler.

The Magpies nearly extended their lead five minutes from time

when Brown curled a free-kick into the side-netting after a foul on Groves.

With the points in the bag, Dorchester played keep-ball to play out the final few minutes.