Magpies: Dorchester Town slide to Frome Town defeat

FROME TOWN 1

Mannings 26

DORCHESTER Town slumped to a dreadful 1-0 defeat by Frome Town in a low-quality Evo-Stik Southern Premier South encounter at the Clayson Stadium.

Rex Mannings benefitted from a shocking Kingsley Latham spillage to score his maiden Robins goal, while Dorchester did not force Latham’s opposite number Rob Brown into a save of note as the Magpies’ crossing and shooting left much to be desired.

Joe Low was then sent off in the 93rd minute for a two-footed lunge as Dorchester’s night worsened.

The county town side made three changes to the starting XI that began the 3-2 win over Harrow Borough on Saturday.

Brennan Camp was away on international duty with Scotland Under-19s, while Harry Kite and Ben Seymour both played 90 minutes for Exeter under-23s against Norwich under-23s just 24 hours previously.

In came Dom Panesar-Dower, Tom Blair and Richard Gillespie, while Kite and Seymour were named on the bench.

There was no Ross Carmichael in the squad, while Josh Williams made the initial 16 but pulled up injured in the warm-up and was replaced by Ben Morris.

With Dorchester looking to capitalise on beating Harrow last time out, a positive start was necessary. However, the Magpies, along with Frome, constantly lost possession and were restricted to misdirected shots from Luke Winsper and visiting striker Ryan Bath respectively.

Of the two, Dorchester eventually settled quicker and a rising Antonio Diaz shot was followed by the Spaniard clipping in a free-kick to Panesar-Dower, whose flicked header was easily caught by Frome gloveman Brown.

Frome finally gathered momentum when a slaloming run from Josh Morgan-Williams produced a skidding low shot before Mannings’ tame daisy-cutter was misfielded by Latham, the ball trickling over the line for 1-0.

A deflected Winsper shot provided Gillespie with a half-chance on the slide, but Brown collected his volley comfortably in the last action of note that half.

After the resumption, Dorchester began on the front foot although quality of delivery was once more lacking as Diaz sent a corner into a cluster of Frome players.

Right-back Kyle Egan then fizzed a low cross across the box, evading his team-mates as the Magpies’ frustrations continued.

Nevertheless, Dorchester persevered and after winning the ball back Blair drilled a rising 25-yarder just over.

Moments later, Frome caused trouble for Latham as Tom Mehen’s deflected strike forced the goalkeeper into a smart scrambling save before an Ollie Knowles free-kick was caught by the Southampton loanee.

Gillespie had rarely had a sniff of goal until the 60th minute when an Egan cross narrowly evaded him and the striker, who had been starved of good service all night, was replaced by Seymour a minute later.

Boss Steve Thompson then brought on Kite for Panesar-Dower with 21 minutes to play as the Magpies searched for a way back into the game.

But Frome next came closest to scoring when a flowing move presented Mehen with another chance, the midfielder striking sweetly at goal and working Latham into a sharp fingertip save for a wasted corner.

Kite provided much needed energy in midfield and a typically tenacious tackle set up Winsper for a searching ball over the top to Seymour who was beaten to the ball by the sweeping Brown.

Frome were content to sit behind the ball and another consequently laboured move from Dorchester culminated in Blair shooting out of the stadium from 25 yards.

With eight minutes remaining, Kite was again the spark for a Magpies chance, sending in a teasing cross that Diaz somehow contrived to avoid making contact with from 12 yards.

Dorchester were thrown a good opportunity when Seymour was needlessly upended on the edge of the box by Miller, who then proceeded to aim a headbutt which went unseen by referee Daniel Flynn.

Seymour stepped up to take the free-kick which dipped alarmingly in front of Brown but caused the Frome keeper little issue.

The officials awarded a healthy six minutes of injury-time but Blair gave away two silly fouls in quick succession as Frome began to wind the clock down.

Rodriguez was felled 40 yards out and Neil Martin aimed a dismal free-kick straight into Brown’s midriff.

An already sub-standard night was compounded further when Low was sent off in the 93rd minute for a lunging two footed tackle on Ricky Scott.

Frome were able to see out the remainder of stoppage time, Mehen audaciously shooting from 60 yards and forcing Latham to tip over, to earn a hugely valuable three points and close the points gap between the two sides to four.

Magpies: Latham, Egan, Martin, Panesar-Dower (Kite 69), Low, Winsper, Blair, Lowes (Rodriguez 78), Gillespie (Seymour 61), Diaz, Jackson. Subs not used: Hutchings, Morris.

Frome: Brown, Miller, Scott, Roberts, Mapstone, Teale, Mehen, Knowles, Bath (Gorman 89), Morgan-Williams (Withey 66), Mannings. Sub not used: Crabtree.

Referee: Daniel Flynn (Bristol)

Attendance: 232

CONTACT ME:

t: 01305 830990

e: neil.walton

@dorsetecho.co.uk

twitter: @EchoSportNeil