DORCHESTER TOWN 0

WIMBORNE TOWN 0

DORCHESTER Town earned their first point of the Pitching In Southern Premier South season with a dull 0-0 draw with Wimborne Town at the Avenue Stadium.

Neither side had taken a point in two league games up to the derby and looked short of ideas in attack.

Former Wimborne centre-back Sam Poole wasted the best chance of the game, directing a Franklyn Clarke volley over from six yards when unmarked in the 82nd minute.

Dorchester’s first clean sheet of the campaign came as boss Leigh Robinson – who was subjected to chants of ‘Robbo out’ throughout – tinkered with the Magpies’ formation to a 3-4-3 in attack.

The former Taunton boss made two changes from the side that began Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Yate.

Rubin Wilson dropped to the bench and there was no place in the squad for the injured Tiago Sa, who did not recover sufficiently from a calf strain sustained at Yate.

In came Sam Bayston for Sa, while Emile Ngoy got the nod to start up front with Tom Bath and Tom Blair.

Prior to the game, Dorchester had taken just seven points from their 25 league games in the calendar year.

With players, staff and fans desperate for a win, it was perhaps no surprise that Dorchester began shakily.

Wimborne earned two fruitless corners and both Dorchester captain Clarke, for a high boot, and Ashley Wells for a cynical trip were cautioned inside 12 minutes.

Wimborne’s best chance of the half fell to Jake Sinclair, who swivelled and shot straight at keeper Will Buse after Wimborne escaped punishment for tangling with Bath in the air.

Two chances fell to the Cuthbury side in quick succession as the industrious Curtis Young fired out of the ground before Charlie Gunson curled a free-kick well over.

Blair copied Young’s lifted finish before Buse tipped a dangerous square ball from Gunson along the six-yard box.

In a half low on quality, Blair registered the first shot on target in the 26th minute as his powerful drive was well caught by keeper Billy Terrell.

Dorchester began to dominate possession but could not unlock a Wimborne defence who were briefly worried when Terrell needed treatment for a minor ankle injury before continuing.

Blair was by far Dorchester’s biggest threat and his skidding low cross was brilliantly hooked over by Wimborne centre-back Sam Davidson before half-time.

Holmes drilled at Buse to record Wimborne’s first shot on target as the visitors began the second half on top – just as they did the first.

Wimborne continued to press as left-back Billy Maybury surged forward and fired over before Sinclair threw himself at Young’s deep cross without connecting.

Dorchester’s first spell of pressure in the second 45 came when Wimborne headed Blair’s looping cross behind.

Clarke and Bath aimed vicious shots at goal, blocked by Terrell, as Wimborne stood firm.

Wimborne continued to pose a threat, heightened by the introduction of Aidan Shepherd, and Dorchester were indebted to Charlie Madden’s late block on a goalbound Holmes.

Buse then made a delayed decision to claim a bouncing ball and clattered into a Wimborne attacker, incensing the visiting bench, but Lawrence again showed leniency.

Blair drew a late foul from Louis Kellaway as Lawrence finally reached into his book for a caution and from the free-kick Dorchester should have scored.

Substitute Billy Lowes clipped the delivery in Clarke’s fierce volley back into the box steamed at centre-back Poole, whose lunging effort sailed over the bar from six yards.

Dorchester applied pressure in the final throes but could not disturb the Wimborne defence as both sides settled for a lamentable stalemate.

Magpies: Buse, Hanger, Hodges, Poole, Madden, Wells (Lowes 72), Bayston (Thomas 70), Clarke, Bath, Ngoy (Wilson 63), Blair.

Subs not used: Dunstan, Kiwobo

Wimborne: Terrell, Strugnell, Maybury, Davidson, Kellaway, Young, Holmes, Sinclair (Penny 88), Gunson, Chugg, Gamble (Shepherd 60).

Subs not used: Smith, Arnold, Langdon.

Referee: Richard Lawrence