SWINDON SUPERMARINE 1

Spalding 32

DORCHESTER TOWN 2

Fletcher 18, 45

WILL Fletcher bagged a brace as Dorchester Town completed a welcome double over Swindon Supermarine, winning 2-1 at the Webbswood Stadium.

Marine hit the post early on with a corner but Fletcher bagged a clinical pair of goals either side of Henry Spalding’s equaliser in the first half.

Dorchester were forced into a nervy final quarter of the match after wasting several chances before the hour mark, but the Magpies held firm to claim their first away win under boss Tom Killick.

Victory also boosted Dorchester into 16th in the Pitching In Southern League Premier South table as the Dorset side repeated their 2-1 win over Supermarine back in September.

READ MORE: Swindon Supermarine 1-2 Dorchester Town - how it happened

Dorchester Town boss Tom Killick made one change to the side that began the 1-1 abandonment against Beaconsfield last time out.

Ed James (ankle) was replaced by under-23s centre-half Ieuan Turner, with Lewis Toms, Lewis Waterfield and Louie Slough Dorchester’s sole three substitutes.

Slough returned after a hamstring injury but top-scorer Shaq Gwengwe (suspended), Jack Dickson (ankle) and Jordi Foot (unavailable) missed out, as did omitted goalkeeper Thomas Percival-Smith.

In gusty conditions, few chances were created in the opening 15 minutes but Supermarine did give Dorchester a fright when a corner clipped the outside of Adam Forster’s post.

However, the Magpies needed only three further minutes to open the scoring through Fletcher’s opportunism.

Exeter loanee Pedro Borges picked out Olaf Koszela with a pinpoint cross and the recipient steered a header into Fletcher’s path, the striker flicking a clever finish home for 1-0.

Supermarine were not behind for long, though.

David Sims-Burgess burst through midfield into space and his cutting through ball opened the door for Spalding to slot past Forster for the equaliser.

Marine’s leveller instigated a concerted spell of pressure from Dorchester in response.

Firstly, Dorchester skipper Jordan Ngalo played in Fletcher who tested Marine keeper Conor Brann’s handling and Ngalo later blasted over the bar in the 40th minute.

Yet the Magpies would eventually retake the lead before the break, deservedly so.

Their strike came from a set-piece as Corby Moore swung in a corner to Will Spetch and Fletcher pounced on his header back across goal to net his third goal since joining.

Dorchester began the second half as they had ended the first and felt aggrieved when Borges was not awarded a 50th-minute penalty.

The Portuguese star intercepted a loose pass from Brann and appeared to draw contact in the box, only for the officials to wave play on.

As the half elapsed, a crucial third goal that may have killed the game proved elusive for Dorchester.

Brann denied Leighton Thomas and Ollie Haste before the hour mark, while sub Lewis Waterfield, on for Borges, drilled wastefully over after astute work from Fletcher.

With Magpies chances coming and going, Supermarine duly tested Dorchester’s resolve in the final 15 minutes.

Dorchester were prompted into last-ditch action, clearing a shot off the line, before the Marine’s best opportunity for a leveller deserted them.

Working the ball from the right wing, Dorchester lost the aerial contest in the box as Drew Eccott-Young was outjumped, and Spalding lashed the knockdown wide of the right-hand post from around 15 yards in the 89th minute.

In the end, Dorchester did enough to hold out for victory though more ruthlessness in front of goal would have made their task easier in the closing stages.

Dorchester host Shaftesbury in the Dorset Senior Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday (7.30pm) before entertaining Walton & Hersham on Saturday (3pm).

Swindon Supermarine: Brann, Turl, Campbell, Liddiard, Raison, Andrews, Tumelty, Ibrahim (Kotwica 70), Sims-Burgess, Spalding, Irving (Gray 58). Subs not used: Evans, Richards, Blyth.

Magpies: Forster, Eccott-Young, Haste, Ngalo, Turner, Borges (Waterfield 59), Moore, Fletcher, Koszela, Thomas, Spetch. Subs not used: Slough, Toms.

Referee: Stacey Pearson.

Attendance: 226.