DORCHESTER Town assistant-manager James Wood described as a “good result” the Magpies’ 1-1 draw at Hungerford Town.

After Dorchester handed debuts to new recruits Jack Dickson, Will Spetch and Corby Moore, Leighton Thomas put the visitors 1-0 up against his former side before Shaq Gwengwe hit the post.

Hungerford levelled through a sweet Ramarni Medford-Smith strike and Dorchester had to withstand a barrage of balls into the box late to earn a point and move up to 16th in the table.

Coming up against the slope at Bulpit Lane and a side last season relegated from the National League South, Dorchester may feel the happier side especially as they are now three league games unbeaten.

Commenting on that observation, Wood told Echosport: “We’ll accept that and the performance matched it.

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“First half, we know what Hungerford is like coming to this place. We’ve done it many, many times before. The slope does play a huge factor in their style.

“We had the slope first half and I thought we were excellent, carved them open on many opportunities.

“We were unfortunate to come in at just 1-0. We hit the post and had a couple of chances, so we were a little disappointed we didn’t come in better off.

“Second half they put us under a lot of pressure. It wasn’t a case that they carved us open but every ball whether it be from the goalkeeper, a full-back, a long throw, every ball was going into the box.

“The boys stood up tremendously well and defended that 18-yard box for their lives. It’s no joke, I reckon they had 25 long throws, second half, into our six-yard box.

“We defended every one of them, so a real credit to them. A point away from home on a Tuesday night was a good result.”

Such was the weight of Hungerford’s directness in the second half, Wood was most taken with the Magpies’ resistance to their strategy and the “desire” to earn a point.

He added: “They changed tactically and went back to front a lot quicker.

“Every opportunity, whether it was any free-kick in their half of the pitch, was taken by one of the full-backs. Both of the centre-halves went and the midfielders squeezed.

“It was really a case of no matter where there was a dead-ball situation on that pitch, we were having to defend our six-yard box and our 18-yard box.

“We’ve done that really well, that was the really pleasing thing for us. Great discipline, great desire to come away with something.

“We’re happy with that, we really are.”

Dorchester did not conjure a clear-cut late chance, although one counter may have produced a winner but for a heavy low cross from Thomas.

Wood said: “There was one really good passage where we broke away. We knew we could exploit them in wide areas.

“We got Leighton in down the sides of the centre-halves and flashed a cross-shot across the box. Shaq was sliding in and was inches away from connecting.

“That was probably our best chance second half. We had a couple of set-pieces and good passages but that was it.

“They put us under pressure but the boys stood up to it really well.”

Dorchester currently have a bye weekend before hosting Didcot on Saturday, September 23 in their next game.