Magpies: Stalemate at the Avenue as Magpies are held

DESPITE creating a whole host of chances, the Magpies had to settle for a share of the spoils against Frome at the Avenue tonight.

The county town outfit claimed a second clean sheet of the season but it was the first time this term that they had not been able to find the back of the net.

Lewis Morgan squandered the home side’s best chance of the match in the first half, while Bradley Tarbuck also hit the post before the interval.

Dorchester made one change to the side that started the win at Hungerford on the weekend.

Tarbuck came in to replace the injured Charlie Davis and Sam Old took the former’s place on the bench.

Some of the fans hadn’t even taken their seats when the Magpies created the first chance of the game inside the opening 60 seconds.

Ben Watson got in front of Frome skipper Chris McGrath and laid the ball back for Tony Lee to shoot just wide of the target.

The same two Dorchester players combined again five minutes later.

Watson found Lee for a second time but the striker’s angled effort was put out for a corner by visiting keeper Darren Chitty.

Having also made a bight start, Tarbuck then forced Chitty into a save low down as the hosts kept up the pressure.

Frome hit back and Ben Thomson should have done better when he was presented with a free header from eight yards out which he failed to make proper contact with.

And two minutes later, Kris Miller went even closer for the visitors, his glancing header from Jon Vance’s free-kick flying inches wide of the far post.

However, the best chance either side had of taking the lead in the first quarter fell to Dorchester midfielder Morgan 22 minutes in.

Some nice approach play ended with Tarbuck delivering a cross which Chitty could only palm out to Morgan seven yards from goal.

But with the net at his mercy, Morgan fired his shot over the bar from seven yards.

The home supporters were then ruing their team’s bad luck when Tarbuck struck an upright and Lee headed wide in quick succession.

Tarbuck was in the action again on 38 minutes when his shot was blocked, though that was after Walker-Harris had gathered Thomson’s curling effort.

And scoring opportunities kept coming thick and fast before the break.

First, Thomson’s close-range effort was blocked and Walker-Harris saved Tumelty’s follow-up, then Mark Jermyn’s header from a corner at the other end was cleared off the line by the man on the post.

Like the first half, the second began at a fast pace, with Tarbuck’s speed and trickery causing the Robins problems and Miller proving a threat to the Dorchester defence.

The Magpies, again through Tarbuck and Morgan, went close to breaking the deadlock just before the hour mark.

Tarbuck played the ball through the legs of two Frome defenders and when he couldn’t get his shot away Morgan’s effort was smothered by Chitty.

Prior to that, Lee couldn’t quite get on the end of Tarbuck’s low cross.

Sensing a fresh pair of legs were required, the home side brought Mark Irvine on for Lee, who could count himself unlucky not to have found the net for a third time this season – Nick Crittenden also replaced Oakley Hanger soon after.

The game became more stretched and although Dorchester appeared the more likely to score, Frome looked dangerous when they broke.

And Vance nearly caught out Walker-Harris when he tried an audacious attempt at goal from all of 40 yards.

Dorchester did have the ball in the net six minutes from time, however, the linesman ruled that Tarbuck’s cross had gone out of play before Neil Martin side-footed home.

Substitute Crittenden did everything he could to help his side find a winner but his and his team-mates’ efforts just weren’t quite enough.

Magpies: Walker-Harris, Hanger (Crittenden 68), Smeeton, Jermyn, Oldring, Dillon, Tarbuck, Morgan, Lee (Irvine 63), Watson, Martin (Brookes 90+1). Subs not used: Murphy, Old.

Frome: Chitty, Miller (Stradling 90), Sweet, S Hulbert, McGrath, Hutchings, Tumelty, Vance (Miles 79), Thomson, Minnis (Thompson 46), Worlock. Sub not used: R Hulbert.

Bookings: Magpies – Tarbuck (foul, 60).

Frome – None.

Referee: Robert Dabbs (Weymouth).

Attendance: 341.