DORCHESTER TOWN 0

HAYES & YEADING 1

Amartey 90+1

FRANCIS Amartey struck in the first minute of second-half stoppage time to snatch a 1-0 victory for Pitching In Southern League Premier South leaders Hayes & Yeading United.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for new Magpies interim management duo Brian Churchill and Craig Robinson who took charge of the first team after the midweek departures of Robbie Herrera and Kevin Hodges.

They saw their team enthusiastically rise to the challenge of prising points away from the Middlesex side. But just as it looked likely that at least one point would be remaining at the Avenue Stadium, up popped Amartey unmarked on the six-yard line to steer in a late pass from substitute Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick.

That was tough luck on the Magpies who had hitherto defended resolutely and posed a few questions of their own to the visiting defence.

READ MORE: Dorchester Town 0-1 Hayes & Yeading United - how it happened

But as dramatic as that late and decisive goal was, the game will be remembered as much for the slightly premature conclusion agreed by both sides following a serious injury to visiting keeper Ravan Constable.

In the last of three added minutes, Dorchester substitute Rudy Plummer hared after a through ball from Oakley Hanger but spotting the danger, Constable raced from his area to kick clear and was injured in the ensuing collision with Plummer who was subsequently shown a yellow card.

After 21 minutes of constant on field medical attention for a hip injury to Constable and in acknowledgement that there were less than 30 seconds remaining to play, Dorchester accepted that the result should stand and the referee duly brought the game to a conclusion. Constable continued to receive treatment on the pitch and was later taken to hospital.

A first-team debut was handed to Dorchester’ 18-year-old under-23 central defensive midfielder Ben Hughes while Tiago Sa, Tom Purrington and new skipper Thiago Caze da Silva came into the side following the midweek defeat at Lymington.

There was no place in the starting line-up for strikers Kieran Phillips and Plummer who were joined on the bench by winger Flavio Tavares and unused defenders Harry Hodges and George Calverley.

A fine tackle by Charlie Madden thwarted a second-minute drive by Tyler Goodrham but there was also an early scare for the visitors when Jordan Norville-Williams side-footed the ball past his own keeper but was then quick enough to race round his stranded teammate to clear the danger before Sam Bayston could pounce for Dorchester.

Hughes was in the right place to clear off the line to keep out a close-range effort from Moses Emmanuel who had recovered a punched clearance from Magpies gloveman, Alan Walker-Harris.

The impressive Hughes then showed good vision to set up Sam Bayston but the Magpies winger miscontrolled at the vital moment. Christos Papakonstantinou and Oakley Hanger combined to snuff out a chance for Omar Rowe while Constable cut out a pass from Purrington aimed at Papakonstantinou.

Play swung to the other end where Goodrham and Rowe worked together to set up Amartey whose shot was saved by a sprawling Walker-Harris. Amartey then fired wide from just inside the penalty area before Billy Lowes won possession in the centre to find Bayston who played a long range one two with Alfie Stanley before firing just over from 20 yards.

The Magpies were enjoying a good spell of pressure at this stage of the game and in the next attack Purrington drove forward to unleash a shot which was blocked. The ball fell to Bayston whose follow up was parried by Constable gifting Purrington a second chance but this time he fired wide.

A poor clearance from the United keeper then fell to Stanley whose long range lob attempt just cleared the crossbar.

A flurry of bookings for fouls then interrupted the flow of the match with Rowe and Odelusi from the visitors and the Magpie’s Tiago Sa all yellow carded within minutes of each other.

During this spell, a Hanger free kick looked promising for the Magpies but Madden headed straight at Constable. Madden then headed clear a free-kick at the other end before Emmanuel lashed a shot against the Dorchester crossbar. Amartey also went close with a left foot curled over the bar.

Despite the late drama to follow, by comparison the second half was generally quieter than the first.

Papakonstantinou beat three defenders and won a corner with a deflected shot, while Sa’s resultant delivery was headed away for Hanger corner which was cleared upfield where Goodrham curled a shot wide. Purrington was denied by Constable while Emmanuel had an effort deflect wide for United.

A cross from substitute Amos Nasha was well claimed by Walker-Harris before Benedict Frempah sent Dorchester substitute Tavares flying to earn a booking and concede a free-kick which Hughes fired over from 20 yards.

United substitute Hippolyte-Patrick added renewed threat to the visitors attack but saw his 84th-minute effort saved by Walker-Harris.

But in the first of three added minutes Hippolyte-Patrick prodded the ball through to the unmarked Amartey who lashed home the winning goal – a victory to be sadly marred by the last minute injury to Constable that followed.

Magpies: Walker-Harris, Hanger, Sa, Caze da Silva, Madden, Hughes, Bayston (Phillips 69), Purrington, Stanley (Plummer 75), Lowes, Papakonstantinou (Tavares 63). Subs not used: Calverley, Hodges

Hayes & Yeading: Constable, Gillela, Norville-Williams, Odelusi, Robinson, Frempah, Jalloh (Connors 60), Rowe (Nasha 46), Emmanuel, Amartey, Goodrham (Hippolyte-Patrick 75). Subs not used: McDevitt, Bajja

Referee: S Jenkins

Attendance: 396