DORCHESTER TOWN 0

SALISBURY 1

Blair 90

A LAST-MINUTE strike from former Avenue Stadium favourite, Tom Blair, condemned the Magpies to a third defeat from their opening four Pitching In Southern League Premier South fixtures.

The match was well contested but lacked cutting edge with the two sides largely cancelling each other out.

A goalless draw looked a likely and overall fair result until the Dorchester defence failed to deal with a 90th-minute Charlie Davis left-wing free-kick and Blair was afforded the time and space to pounce and drill a low shot into the bottom left corner.

Four minutes of added time failed to produce a Magpies equaliser with Sam Bayston and Ashley Wells unable to apply the finishing touch to an inviting ball into the six-yard box by Sam Davidson and substitute George Calverley rolling a last-ditch effort wide.

Christos Papakonstantinou made his competitive home debut in a subdued first half although the Greek forward nearly fired the Magpies into a 41st-minute lead when he dispossessed Oliver Knowles before charging forward then unleashing a firm drive which cannoned back so swiftly from the foot of the post that Billy Lowes was unable to convert the rebound - hoisting the ball high over the crossbar from eight yards.

Sam Ashton also had a good chance for Salisbury as half-time approached but having jinked his way past the Dorchester defence he could only curl the ball over from 20 yards.

READ MORE: Dorchester 0-1 Salisbury - how it happened

The last five minutes of the first half contained quality and excitement that the supporters of both sides in the local derby crowd of 696 had not treated to for the first low key 40 minutes.

An early Tiago Sa corner was played short to Papakonstantinou but his cross was easily claimed by Salisbury keeper, Marcus Beauchamp.

Wells then intercepted a Blair cross at the expense of a Davis corner upon delivery of which Marvin Brooks impeded Harry Burns to gift Dorchester a free kick.

Tom Purrington had a shot blocked for the Magpies while following a free-kick from Oakley Hanger which was cleared, a long range follow-up from Wells sailed wide and was easily gathered by Beauchamp.

A disjointed first half was typified by a wasted cross field pass from Hanger which flew out of play with no teammate in sight.

Ashton and Blair combined to set up a chance for another ex-Magpie, Antonio Diaz, but his shot was blocked.

Referee Russell Jones waved aside Magpies appeals for a penalty when Bayston tumbled under pressure.

Hanger then had a shot deflect for a corner while a burst of Salisbury pressure culminated in a low drive flashing wide of goal from Knowles.

A free-kick from Sa was cleared as far as Burns whose effort was blocked. A Hanger free-kick was cleared by Knowles before Papakonstantinou for Dorchester rattled the woodwork and Salisbury’s Ashton just cleared the crossbar.

Dorchester boss Robbie Herrera must have demanded more urgency in his half-time team talk as the second half was barely two minutes old when a shot on the turn from Lowes forced a fine save from Beauchamp.

The follow-up corner from Hanger was cleared by Jack Ball with Purrington a close shadow. Papakonstantinou was shown a yellow card for a trip on Blair but the Diaz free-kick was cleared by Sa. Another Hanger free-kick was punched clear by Beauchamp with Lowes unable to benefit.

A Diaz free-kick picked out Knowles who in turn found Blair whose effort was diverted for a Davis corner which was headed clear.

Brooks headed wide following a free-kick from Diaz awarded for a foul on the ex-Dorchester winger. A far post attempt from Blair was deflected wide while Knowles lashed another free kick wide.

A menacing cross from Wells was steered out to the relative safety of a Dorchester corner by Davis before a good intervention from Wells at the other end again thwarted Blair.

Meanwhile,Gerard Benfield intercepted one Blair centre and another flashed untouched across the face of the Dorchester goal.

Wells sent a 78th-minute free-kick too close to Beauchamp to concern Salisbury.

Ball cleared a Dorchester corner while Benfield raced out of his area to clear and Diaz had a shot blocked.

It was end-to-end stuff but the key moment arrived with stoppage-time looming when Papakonstantinou conceded a free-kick on the left touchline which Davis delivered and while the Magpies' defence dithered, Blair fired home to send Magpies' fans home in despair.

Magpies: Benfield, Wells, Sa (Calverley 71), Burns (Soares 77), Davidson, Buckley, Hanger (Hodges 77), Purrington, Bayston, Papakonstantinou, Lowes. Subs not used: Madden, Walker-Harris.

Salisbury: Beauchamp, Davis, Sommerton (Baker 69), Knowles, Ball, Starr, Blair, Mullins, Ashton (Fitchett 77), Brooks (McCreadie 90), Diaz. Subs not used: Jones, Odubade.

Referee: Russell Jones

Attendance: 696