DORCHESTER TOWN 0

POOLE TOWN 2

Brooks 5, Constable 11 pen

DORCHESTER Town slipped to a dismal 2-0 Evo-Stik Southern Premier South defeat by Poole Town in their Dorset derby at the Clayson Stadium.

All the Dolphins’ scoring was done in a rapid opening 11 minutes as Marvin Brooks nudged home before James Constable tucked away a penalty.

Poole had further chances through Constable and former Magpie Jake Smeeton, while Tom Blair had Dorchester’s best chance, aiming a dipping shot at goal from 30 yards.

Dorchester made two changes to the side that began the 0-0 draw at Chesham last time out.

Centre-back Ross Carmichael came in for Brennan Camp, who suffered a gashed ankle.

Winger Blair made his return from sickness with a place in the starting XI ahead of Antonio Diaz, who dropped to the bench.

Former Poole players Nick Hutchings and Richard Gillespie, the latter having recovered from tight hamstrings sustained after the 6-0 loss to Farnborough, both featured on the Magpies’ bench, where they were joined by Diaz and Aaron Rodriguez.

An immaculate minute’s silence was served for former midfielder Paul Thorne before kick-off and after responding to the 6-0 home defeat at Farnborough by keeping a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw at Chesham, Dorchester harboured hopes of another solid defensive display against the Dolphins, particularly after beating Tom Killick’s men 1-0 just three weeks earlier.

However, those aspirations were clouded in the fifth minute as Brooks raced onto a well-weighted ball over the top by Poole skipper Jamie Whisken before holding off the covering defence well and poking a weak effort past the advancing Kingsley Latham in off the post.

Dorchester replied when Blair was clattered into by Sam Griffin before bending a free-kick just beyond the far post, Poole having dangerously allowed the ball to bounce before going out.

Brooks was causing havoc in the Dorchester rearguard, drifting between the lines, and the forward was the architect of the Dolphins’ second goal in the 11th minute, drawing a reckless foul from behind by Harry Kite for a stone-wall penalty.

Constable duly stepped up to slot past Latham into the bottom-right corner with aplomb, sending the Southampton loanee the wrong way.

Constable’s goal meant Dorchester had conceded eight goals in the last 101 minutes of home league football and the hosts’ misery could have been worsened had Constable not shot straight at Latham following excellent work from Griffin, who beat Sam Jackson with ease.

Dorchester’s frustration was plain to see as ex-Poole man Neil Martin and Ross Carmichael both clashed with Dolphins’ players before Blair, arguably the Magpies’ best player of the half, sent a vicious dipping effort at goal that Luke Cairney did well to tip behind, Carmichael heading the corner wide at the far post.

The feisty Constable was booked for upending Carmichael on the near touchline before Dorchester suffered a blow when Callum Rose went off with a leg injury, replaced by Diaz as Dorchester switched to a 4-5-1.

Blair then curled an effort just over before being cautioned for bringing down Griffin from behind in the last action of the half.

Dorchester manager Steve Thompson made a second switch before the restart, bringing on Gillespie for Luke Winsper as the Magpies searched for a way back into the game.

Yet Poole were to create the first opening of the half when the Dolphins found ex-Magpie Jake Smeeton inside the area, the midfielder then offloading to Roberts on his outside who was closed down by Diaz.

Gillespie’s movement gave Poole problems and the striker got in behind to square for Seymour, who was snuffed out, before seeing an effort bravely blocked by Will Spetch following Cairney’s parry from a 20-yard Kite curler.

In a half light on chances, Billy Lowes stirred Dorchester into life, surging upfield before setting Gillespie through via Seymour. The striker squared for Diaz but the energetic Roberts tracked back to tackle the Spaniard.

Poole expertly saw the clock down in the face of Dorchester pressure, Killick making all three substitutions in the space of six minutes late on before Smeeton volleyed wide from 18 yards when he should have scored.

A toothless Dorchester could only fashion a long-range Diaz shot as the hosts’ abject home form continued with an eighth home league loss of the season, slipping to 18th in the process.

Magpies: Latham, Egan, Martin, Rose (Diaz 39), Carmichael, Kite, Winsper (Gillespie 46), Lowes, Seymour, Blair (Rodriguez 77), Jackson. Sub not used: Hutchings

Poole: Cairney, Bedford (Boote 85), Leslie-Smith, Spetch, Whisken, Smeeton, Griffin, Moore, Constable (House 84), Brooks (Dickson 79), Roberts. Subs not used: O’Connor, Alawode-Williams

Referee: Robert Cockle (Bristol)

Attendance: 597

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