DORCHESTER TOWN 3 STRATFORD TOWN 1

DORCHESTER moved up to fourth in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier table with a convincing win over newcomers, Stratford.

Following the midweek FA Cup exit at Cirencester, keeper Shane Murphy was handed his first start of the campaign while player-manager, Mark Jermyn, who picked up the fans’ vote for August player of the month before kick off, replaced himself in the starting line-up with Neil Martin.

In a promising first minute move, Dorchester's Jonah Ayunga was thwarted by a raised offside flag. Murphy soon saw his first action punching clear a dangerous cross from Jamie Sheldon.

A cross from Martin just eluded the head of Bradley Tarbuck while a free-kick from Stratford’s new signing, Keiron Westwood, found Liam Francis, who glanced wide.

Robert Thompson-Brown then burst down the right wing before finding striker Edwin Ahenkorah whose shot on the turn flashed wide of the far post.

On the quarter-hour mark, a grounded Ben Watson’s appeals for a penalty failed to impress referee Aaron Moody. After good work by Ayunga, who found Martin on the wing, a cross was delivered to Watson, whose header was well held by a stumbling Andy Kemp in the visitors’ goal.

Following a poor clearance, Charlie Davis produced a stunning drive from 25 yards which Kemp superbly turned round a post. But the reprieve for Stratford proved short-lived as Davis delivered an inch-perfect corner to Nathan Walker on the six-yard line and the central-defender’s header bounced awkwardly in front of Kemp, who could only help the ball into the net.

Another Davis corner presented Walker with a second opportunity but this time his header was cleared in front of goal.

Although seeing much less action than his counterpart, Murphy raced out of his area in the 27th minute to clear as Thompson-Brown looked set to capitalise. A low cross from Thompson-Brown was met at the near post by Sheldon.

Back came Dorchester and from Martin’s centre, Tarbuck nodded wide. A foul on Lewis Morgan by Scott Hadland resulted in a free-kick which Davis directed too close to Kemp.

Minutes later, Ayunga was impeded and this time the ball cannoned back into play off an upright from the set-piece taken by Davis from 35 yards.

The second Dorchester goal soon followed and it came fittingly from another Davis free-kick awarded for a foul on Ayunga by Stratford skipper, Gary Moran. Davis lashed his shot in off the underside of the crossbar.

A tackle from Jake Smeeton prevented Simeon Tulloch racing clear in the first minute of the second half although Tulloch connected with a Sheldon cross shortly after, but could only head wide.

A firmly struck free-kick from Westwood, awarded for a foul by Morgan, was well held by Murphy on his line. But resurgent Stratford boosted their revival hopes with a goal on 54 minutes when the lively Ahenkorah fired home from close range after a surging run into the box and cross by Westwood. This was the first league goal conceded at home by the Magpies this season.

Jermyn emerged from the bench to replace Morgan and seven minutes later Dorchester restored their two-goal cushion.

In a four-man move from defence, Smeeton’s ball forward was hooked on by Tarbuck to Watson who played a one-two with Ayunga but then temporarily lost possession. But when the ball broke loose to him, Watson found himself with time and space to pick his spot in the top left corner with a shot from 18 yards.

A Jermyn free-kick was then met by Walker, whose header was cleared.

At the other end, Martin did well to shepherd the ball out of play with Ahenkorah in hot pursuit. Smeeton then played a short free-kick to Jermyn whose shot was blocked but the rebound fell kindly to the Dorchester player-manager whose second attempt was saved by Kemp.

Stratford’s best chance of reducing the arrears came four minutes from time when Murphy acrobatically palmed aside a powerful drive from Ahenkorah but substitute Dior Angus could only side-foot the chance wide.

Magpies: Murphy, Hanger, Smeeton, Martin, Oldring, Walker, Davis (Brookes 71), Morgan (Jermyn 59), Ayunga, Watson (Crittenden 85), Tarbuck. Subs not used: Walker-Harris, Dillon

Stratford: Kemp, Stringfellow, Westwood, Moran, Francis, Hadland (Angus 71), Sheldon, Price (Adkins 71), Ahenkorah, Tulloch, Thompson-Brown (Falkner 83). Subs not used: Cutts, Fox

Bookings — Magpies: Martin (foul 73), Davis (foul 65), Morgan (foul 52).

Stratford — Moran (foul 43), Francis (foul 45+1), Hadland (deliberate handball 33).

Referee: Aaron Moody (Eastleigh)

Attendance: 322