DORCHESTER Town boss Steve Thompson bemoaned the “same story” of a poor second half as the Magpies slipped to a 2-1 Evo-Stik Southern Premier South defeat to Taunton Town at the Clayson Stadium.

Craig Veal opened the scoring via the crossbar with a flicked header for the Peacocks, before midfielder Luke Winsper bagged his fifth goal of the season when finishing a slick passing move.

However, a rash decision from goalkeeper Alhaji Sesay ultimately cost the Magpies when the Sierra Leone goalkeeper hared off his line, failing to claim a cross and allowed Andrew Neal to head home unchallenged.

The Magpies, who had constructed several gorgeous sweeping moves in the first half, practically disappeared in the second as they fell to a third home league loss of the season.

Speaking to Echosport, Thompson felt his team lacked a “clinical” edge.

He said: “We played very well first half and unbelievably went in 2-1 down. You’ve got to defend crosses, two crosses. One from open play, one from a free-kick.

“We really should have come in up with the balance of play, well up.

“Second half we never got going. It’s just the same story. I think we played some nice football but we haven’t got enough clinical players and we’re playing without a centre forward, so it’s tough.

“The players are finding it tough, although you wouldn’t have believed that first half. They knocked the ball around well and, to be fair, for the first time in the last 20 minutes I tried something different, even though we’re not built for it.”

He added: “I’m fed up with us just seeing games out and passing and passing. We went longer, pushed two up in Callum Rose, Ash Pope with Tom Blair and Cameron Murray joining in.

“It should have been a four-up but we didn’t look like we could do it and we never created a good chance with that. I have to hold my hands up and say ‘we tried something different’ and it didn’t work.”