KINGS LANGLEY    1
Connolly 90+3
DORCHESTER TOWN    0

DORCHESTER Town experienced 93rd-minute heartbreak as defender Gary Connolly's goal saw Kings Langley record a 1-0 victory at Sadiku Stadium to preserve their Evo-Stik Southern Premier South play-off hopes.

Lango rattled the bar in the first half and the Magpies saw Tom Blair twice go close before Connolly swept home dramatically in stoppage-time.

Dorchester made two changes to the starting line-up that began the 4-1 loss to Salisbury as goalkeeper Kingsley Latham and Sam Jackson replaced the benched Nick Hutchings and Aaron Rodriguez respectively.

Josh Williams was called up from loan club Bridport in place of James Granger who suffered a season-ending rib injury while training at a gym. Ross Carmichael (knee) did not travel.

Kings Langley, meanwhile, named an unchanged team from the 2-1 defeat to Taunton Town last Saturday.

With warm conditions and the magnitude of the contest evident for both sides, a slow start was perhaps forgiveable until Latham showed sharp reactions to paw away a shot for a harmless corner on 18 minutes.

Dorchester’s first notable sight of goal came on 30 minutes when winger Blair created space and shot tamely at keeper Alex Tokarczyk.

A mundane opening half burst into life through Tokarczyk as the gloveman spilled a Billy Lowes shot but gathered before striker Ben Seymour could pounce.

Just before half-time the Magpies were given a let-off as Latham’s crossbar was rattled with a powerful strike as a poor game remained goalless.

Dorchester improved in the second half as Seymour nearly latched onto an excellent Nathan Walker pass before Blair saw a rasping shot deflected just wide.

Boss Callum Brooks introduced Luke Winsper for Billy Lowes but Lango went close again as Latham hurled himself to retain parity with a superb save.

With Walton Casuals losing at Salisbury, a Magpies winner would have guaranteed their safety and Brooks responded by replacing Antonio Diaz and Blair with Dom Panesar-Dower and Aaron Rodriguez.

But Lango, chasing Poole for the final play-off spot, did not read that script as Connolly pounced at the back post for a 90th-minute tap-in to break Magpies’ hearts.
Dorchester host Tiverton on Easter Monday in the penultimate game of the season (3pm).

Kings Langley: Tokarczyk, Hitchcock, O’Keefe, Johnson, Adebiyi, Smith, Ward, Cook, Howe, Weiss, Gordon. Subs not used: Putman, Connolly; Coldicott-Stevens; Toiny-Pendred.

Magpies: Latham, Egan, Jackson, Martin, Walker, Rose, Kite, Lowes (Winsper 50), Seymour, Diaz (Panesar-Dower 69), Blair (Rodriguez 69). Subs not used: Hutchings, Williams.

Attendance: 292

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