DORCHESTER TOWN 0

POOLE TOWN 1

Brooks 89

BRAVE nine-man Dorchester Town lost out to an 89th-minute Marvin Brooks tap-in as Poole Town claimed a dramatic 1-0 BetVictor Southern Premier South victory at the Clayson Stadium.

Brooks was upended by both Neil Martin and Mick Hutchings in 11 second-half minutes as the Magpies twice saw red.

And wasteful Poole, who missed numerous chances and barely had a shot on target prior to the dismissals, snatched the win at the death as Brooks pounced on a rebound to break Magpies’ hearts.

Dorchester temporary boss Jody Rivers made three changes to the side that began the 5-1 thrashing at home to Tiverton Town on Saturday.

Former Poole goalkeeper Hutchings returned from suspension to face his old club at the expense of Shane Murphy.

There were also recalls for strike duo Tom Bath and Klaidi Lolos, the former Dorchester’s current top scorer with 16 goals this season.

Centre-back Callum Rose and winger Ben Morris were the Magpies to make way for the pair.

Meanwhile, Poole boss Tom Killick named former Weymouth midfielder Josh Carmichael and ex-Terras’ striker Harry Baker in his starting XI.

Left-back Sam Jackson, who impressed at Dorchester last season, had to settle for a place on the bench.

Both sides had lost four of their past five games in all competitions, but it was Dorchester who began the stronger as Tom Blair screwed a good chance wide from 20 yards just 36 seconds into the contest.

Sean Wright then gave away a clumsy foul in the fifth minute but Carmichael could not capitalise, curling the free-kick over the bar from 25 yards before firing well wide four minutes later.

Dorchester’s Billy Lowes was beavering away in midfield and poached possession to set Blair on his way down the left but, after dallying on the shot, was robbed of the ball.

Baker’s game lasted just 18 minutes after coming off second best from a strong challenge. After going off for treatment on a bloodied heel, Baker limped back on but could barely break into a jog and was replaced by Flavio Tavares.

Prior to Baker’s substitution, Blair was booked for a late attempt to deprive Poole keeper Luke Cairney of the ball and Carmichael then missed an open goal after Hutchings was caught in no man’s land.

Poole’s Corby Moore fired wide from 25 yards following a blocked Billy Maybury free-kick before the game saw its first shot on target when Bath headed at Cairney from Lowes’ cross.

Wright, having stolen possession, scooped a shot out of the ground before Carmichael nodded at Hutchings in first-half stoppage-time.

Bath registered the first shot on target in the second half, nodding a cross at Cairney, before the game ignited.

Carmichael slipped Brooks in on goal and Martin, well behind, tripped the striker as he went clean through, earning a straight red from referee Iain Parsons.

Lolos then went off for Rose in a defensive reshuffle before substitute Tavares was switched for Luke Pardoe on 62 minutes.

But Dorchester were soon down to nine men as Hutchings, in a carbon copy situation, was adjudged to have brought Brooks down and saw red in Dorchester’s second dismissal in 11 minutes.

Murphy came on for Tom Purrington before Jake Smeeton curled the free-kick over and was later replaced by centre-back Will Spetch, who went straight up front.

Poole were understandably running rings around the Magpies and sub Luke Pardoe’s brilliant cut-back teed up Spetch who could only turn and blaze over from 12 yards.

Dorchester were making a plethora of heroic blocks and tackles, roared on by an increasingly vocal home support, and the biggest cry of the day was reserved for Murphy, who somehow clawed out a firm effort from Brooks on 86 minutes.

But Brooks had the last laugh when Murphy could only parry Maybury’s shot into his path, the striker netting from two yards out to cruelly deny Dorchester a gallant point.

Magpies: Hutchings, Egan, Sa, Martin, Wright, Purrington (Murphy 66), B Lowes (Morris 90+3), Bath, Clarke, Lolos (Rose 57), Blair. Subs not used: Torniainen, Winsper.

Poole: Cairney, Leslie-Smith, Maybury, Smeeton (Spetch 72, Whisken, Dickson, Carmichael, Moore, Baker (Tavares 18, Pardoe 62), Brooks, Holmes. Subs not used: Phillips, Jackson.

Referee: Iain Parsons

Attendance: 377

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