PLYMOUTH PARKWAY 2

Garside 68 pen, Lewington 88

DORCHESTER TOWN 0

DORCHESTER Town missed out on the chance to reach the FA Trophy main draw after sustaining a 2-0 defeat at Plymouth Parkway in the third qualifying round.

The Magpies looked to be heading for penalties with the tie locked at 0-0 until a 68th-minute penalty swung the game in Parkway’s favour.

Harvey-Joe Bertrand handled a goalbound shot on the line and was given his marching orders, Rio Garside then stepping up to score for 1-0.

Dorchester responded with two chances for Olly Balmer but as they committed players forward Parkway caught them on the break, Jared Lewington putting the result beyond doubt 88 minutes in.

READ MORE: Plymouth Parkway 2-0 Dorchester Town - how it happened

Parkway netted £2,450 for winning, while Dorchester earned £625 as scant consolation for exiting the final FA competition available to them this season.

Dorchester encountered major selection worries pre-match as boss Glenn Howes made three changes to the side that began the 3-2 win over Harrow last Saturday.

In came Mike Lilley, Louie Slough and Kieran Douglas with Olaf Koszela, Callum Buckley and Jordi Foot missing out.

Magpies' captain Buckley and last week’s sub Matty Neale were absent for personal reasons.

Restricting Dorchester’s options further, Koszela and fellow Torquay loanee Alex Moyse missed out at their parent club’s request to avoid being cup-tied.

Ollie Griggs' departure to Winchester and Brad Snelling's dual-registration with Brockenhurst plus Shaq Gwengwe’s ankle issue also added to their selection headache.

Connor Callow and Foot were consequently the only substitutes on what could have been a seven-man bench for the Magpies.

In a match light on chances, Parkway saw Lewington and Callum Hall blaze over before Harry Lee kept out Lewington’s skimmed header.

Dorchester’s injury problems were added to when Douglas came off injured, Foot his replacement, on 40 minutes.

As the match wore on, Lee saved from Jack Crago and Dorchester’s Alfie Stanley saw a couple of shots blocked.

With a stalemate deservedly summing up the game up to then, Charlie Gunson narrowly failed to connect with Stanley’s run after driving into the box.

However, Bertrand’s lapse in discipline cost the Magpies as the visitors were tasked with coming back from a goal down one man short as Garside beat Lee from the spot.

Howes introduced Callow for Lilley with 20 minutes remaining, while Balmer looked a threat cutting in on his left foot and twice went close to grabbing an equaliser.

Yet, when Howes pushed his players forward, trying to force the tie into penalties, Parkway defended resolutely and broke upfield, Lewington cracking a sweet shot past Lee to settle the game.

Dorchester continued to raid forward in search of a consolation but instead it was Parkway who nearly added to their tally when the luckless Crago hit the post.

In the end, the scale of Dorchester’s mission proved too much as the Magpies were knocked out.

They now face a huge challenge at home to Pitching In Southern League Premier South leaders Weston-super-Mare on Tuesday (7.45pm).

Parkway: Moore, Ashmead, Lane, Shanley, M Landricombe, Booth, Williams, Hall (Garside 60), Lewington, Borges (Goulty 76), Crago. Subs not used: Rose, Seymour, Palfrey.

Magpies: Lee, Bertrand, Sa, Emmerson, Slough, Douglas (Foot 40), Ngalo, Gunson, Stanley, Balmer, Lilley (Callow 70).

Referee: James Long

Attendance: 285