Uxbridge ground Magpies

The statistics will suggest that Dorchester should have won this encounter, against a team two leagues beneath them, at a canter.

In the first 10 minutes Ryan Moss headed on the top of the crossbar for the visitors.

However, after a dominant opening 15 minutes in which Jamie Mudge gave them the lead with a sixth minute penalty awarded for handball, the Magpies seemed to ease off.

And once skipper Mark Nicholls had kick-started the Uxbridge challenge with a well taken free-kick on 26 minutes, Shaun Brooks’ side seemed unable to fully raise their game again.

Uxbridge then took the lead 11 minutes later with a superb shot into the top left corner from Kevin Warner.

But with 53 minutes remaining, Dorch-ester’s travelling fans fully expected a revival that unfortunately never materialised.

The Magpies huffed and puffed and carved out plenty of chances but only once after his side took the lead was Uxbridge keeper Paul McCarthy seriously troubled – diving to his right to push away a downward header from Moss eight minutes from time.

Dorchester had 22 attempts at goal – twice as many as their more clinical hosts – but in the end had only Mudge’s early converted penalty to show for their efforts.

The first goal attempt came on four minutes when from a Mudge centre, a shot by Moss deflected for one of Dorchester’s nine corners.

Shortly after, the referee spotted a handball in the box by Mark Dennison and awarded Dorchester a penalty which Mudge drove emphatically past McCarthy.

The Magpies’ pressure at this stage of the afternoon was relentless and a surging run by Nick Crittenden nearly brought a second goal but his eventual shot was saved by the diving Uxbridge keeper.

A Crittenden corner was then headed goalwards by the still head-bandaged – after sustaining a cut against Oxford United in midweek – Kevin Hill, switched to an unfamiliar left back role, but his effort was again cut out by McCarthy.

Mudge then had two long-range efforts saved by the keeper while Crittenden saw a shot blocked.

But Dorchester suffered a jolt in the 26th minute when a foul by Mark Jermyn, who had replaced Hill in the central defensive position, on Nicholls conceded a free-kick just outside the box which the home captain drilled perfectly between Gareth Stewart and the post.

Uxbridge who had hitherto looked decidedly second best suddenly grew in confidence although an optimistic 25-yard shot from Dave Thomas flew high and wide.

At the other end, Mudge had a shot charged down and sent another over for Dorchester who were no longer having everything their own way.

The lively Warner headed just wide from Nicholl’s cross but was not to be denied for long though as he picked up the ball in space to unleash an unstoppable shot into the top corner from 25 yards to fire the home side in front.

McCarthy pushed aside a Mudge effort while Warner drew a fine diving save from Stewart with another fierce shot.

Nicholls then sent a swerving attempt wide while Crittenden had a long-range strike scooped up by McCarthy as the first half closed in end to end fashion.

Dorchester created more chances after the break but could not break down a determined Uxbridge rearguard.

Mudge was first to try but his early shot flew wide. Johnnie Dyer again forced Stew-art to make a save while another Warner shot was beaten down by the Magpies’ gloveman.

On the hour, Tom Mitchell laid off a cross from Hill to Mudge whose shot flashed across the face of goal and wide.

Another Mudge attempt was turned around a post by McCarthy while from Jamie Gleeson’s corner, Patrece Liburd looped a header wide.

There was a further scare for Dorchester on 65 minutes when substitute Lee Tunnell, who had been booked four minutes after his introduction for Uxbridge’s failure to inform the referee that he had replaced Dave Lawrence at the start of the second half, beat Stewart to the ball only to see his header cleared in front of goal by right-back Nathan Peprah-Annan.

Shortly after, substitute Mitchell Nicholson somehow missed making contact with an inviting Crittenden centre then sent one shot over and another wide as wasteful Dorchester again began to dominate possession and chances.

An unusually poor free-kick from Crittenden rebounded off the Uxbridge wall while a foul by Warner conceded another free-kick which Mudge lifted just over the crossbar.

But the closest Dorchester came to salvaging a draw was an 82nd minute downward header from Moss following a Crittenden cross which the diving McCarthy pushed out.

The ball was then played back to Mitchell whose shot was blocked. After that Hill looped a header wide and a miserable afternoon was completed for the Magpies when Jermyn limped off injured to be replaced by Darren Watts two minutes from time.