DORCHESTER TOWN 0

GOSPORT BOROUGH 0

DORCHESTER fought out a frustrating 0-0 draw against 10-man Gosport Borough in which they did everything but score in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier South.

Tony Lee was sent off for his role in a late scrap, but the Magpies could not find a final touch to beat the Boro.

There was one change to the starting team for the Magpies, as Tom Blair came in for Sam Jackson, while on the bench there was one difference as well, as Richard Gillespie was replaced by Dom Panesar-Dower.

The visitors enjoyed a bright start, and were able to hold the Magpies at arms length.

Some smooth ball retention allowed the visitors to earn a corner early on.

It looked promising, when it managed to go above the awaiting crowd and to Lee, who was unable to craft a chance, with his route to goal blocked and no player readily available and the Magpies cleared.

Not long later, the Magpies had their first effort on goal, but it was high and wide from Antonio Diaz on the turn.

Sam Lanahan, one of the numerous ex-Magpies in the Boro team, put the ball in the back of the net but was denied by the offside flag.

Lee then went down in the Dorchester box but the referee swatted aside Gosport’s appeals for a penalty.

The Magpies should have taken the lead soon after, when Blair crossed in a great ball towards Noah Keats, who was on his home debut, but he headed over the bar from close range.

Ben Seymour then went on a superb run, and fired in an angled-effort that had to be tipped over the bar and from the resulting corner headed wide for the Magpies after 21 minutes.

A fantastic pass from Neil Martin then found Diaz, starting a move that came so close to a Dorchester goal after 29 minutes.

Diaz drove at goal, before a series of passes saw a cross that had to be headed behind for a corner, from which Diaz had a header cleared off the line.

The two sides then cancelled each other out well until half-time, with the hosts doing better than the visitors, but Keats could have scored right before the break, but headed over the bar from a Neil Martin cross in.

The second half began with a break in play due to an injury to Martin, but after a considerable break he was cleared to resume.

Gosport saw an early chance go begging, when Lee fired in a deflected shot that effectively became a weak cross that bobbled across the Dorchester box, but no Boro player was there to shoot in before the ball was cleared.

The Magpies should have scored soon after.

Keats did well to set up Diaz, who crossed in but just over the head of Seymour.

The ball dropped just outside of the box however, and Billy Lowes was soon on the end of it, forcing Gosport goalkeeper Patrick O’Flaherty into a brilliant, low save from close range.

Ross Carmichael then shrugged off several Boro players to hand the home a great attacking position, but the Magpies could not craft anything other than two corners.

Gosport were unable to do better to try and break the deadlock, as a good move forward culminated in Charlie Davis firing over the bar from inside the box for the visitors.

The game was reaching a fiery crescendo, and there was late drama when a scuffle broke out.

Lee received his marching orders, via a second yellow card, for lashing out and he continued to remonstrate with the linesman, holding the game up, before finally leaving the pitch.

Martin was also yellow carded but avoided any further punishment.

The closing stages to the game saw the Magpies do everything but score, as time and time again O’Flaherty saved or the ball could not find a fellow Magpie.

Gosport goalkeeper O’Flaherty then began time wasting in the closing stages, in a manner that was not subtle.

This was emphasised when Winsper, without breaking into a run, jogged a quarter of the pitch and lightly bumped into the goalkeeper while he was wasting time prior to the goal-kick.

Despite their efforts Dorchester could not fashion a late goal.

Dorchester travel to Farnborough on Saturday (3pm).

Magpies: Hutchings, Egan, Martin, Carmichael, Camp, Kite, Keats (Jackson 86), Seymour (Rodriguez 79), Diaz, Blair (Winsper 71)

Subs not used: Latham, Panesar-Dower.

Gosport: O’Flaherty, Roberts, Hartmann, Lea, Byrne, Huggins, Barker (Tubbs 79), Davis, Lee, Lanahan (Pennery 61), Suraci (Jerrard 71).

Subs not used: Wakley, Hoare.

Attendance: 478

Referee: Timothy Burley (Redruth)

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