AFTER a nervy, thrilling finale to Dorchester’s 3-2 win over Harrow, Neil Walton dissects the five main talking points from a precious Magpies victory.

HOME GOALS, HOME WIN

NOT since September 1 and a 2-1 triumph over Hartley Wintney have Dorchester collected all three points in league trim at the Clayson Stadium – a wait of 11 games.

And, with Steve Thompson’s men having netted just once in seven home games before beating the Reds, the manager’s gripes in front of goal have finally been put to bed.

SEYMOUR COMES ALIVE

CENTRAL to the Magpies’ excellent display was a return to form for striker Ben Seymour, whose brace extended to 15 his tally for the season – in 19 games.

Seymour walked in his first on 17 minutes before slamming home a penalty to establish a 3-0 lead early in the second half.

The Exeter loanee had other chances, notably one minute after his spot-kick when he contrived to side-foot wide from 10 yards and when curling a first-half effort over from a similar distance.

However, the teenager notched his first goal since the 2-1 FA Trophy defeat at Barnet to alleviate fears of a drought.

TIREDNESS OR COMPLACENCY?

SEYMOUR’S penalty preceded a marked drop off in performance for Dorchester as Harrow suddenly threatened to overwhelm their hosts in the final half an hour.

Thompson’s men had visibly eased off the gas by the hour mark, with some fans suggesting complacency may have been evident with a three-goal advantage.

Yet Thompson believed, in his post-match interview, he may have pushed his youthful team too hard during two midweek training sessions.

Whichever way the dip in work-rate is perceived, Harrow could well have snatched a point and Thompson will surely be out to prevent a similar occurrence against Frome.

THREE SYSTEMS

SUCH was Thompson’s frantic search to obstruct the waves of Harrow pressure late on, the Magpies boss tried three different systems.

Switching from an initial 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3, Thompson elected to finish with a 5-4-1, bringing on centre-back Ross Carmichael as Dorchester held back the nerves to close out a vital victory.

FINE START

A GRANDSTAND finish had not looked likely after a first-half dominated by the hosts. The front two of Seymour and Antonio Diaz combined with Luke Winsper to torment the Reds' defence, linking up superbly for a wonderful opening goal.

Winsper added another 30 seconds into the second half and Seymour’s penalty should have put the game out of reach had numerous other chances been taken in the first half.

Diaz, who clipped the bar, and Seymour were both guilty of passing up opportunities and may need to be more clinical in future.