Crusaders unbeaten home record goes as Magpies score twice

For the second week in succession we met a team from the lower reaches of the league who showed us what a competitive division the Evo-Stik Southern Premier really is, but although we snatched a late winner at Banbury, Dorchester gave us no opportunity to repeat the dose. Boosted by an own goal after only 5 minutes, they produced an excellent performance to record a well-deserved 2-0 win, not only completing the double over us, but also ending our unbeaten home record.
Once more it needed a great deal of work on the pitch to enable the game to go ahead, the overnight snow had covered the pitch, but when it began to thaw, we had some heavy rain to make conditions even more difficult. Fortunately the rain died away, but conditions were extremely difficult when the referee decided to go ahead, and this no doubt had an effect on the players’ performance, but the visitors were clearly ready for the challenge. They started the game at a brisk pace, scoring after only 5 minutes when Diak John got his head to a ball which looked like going wide, but he only managed to deflect past Paul Strudley into the roof of the net. We earned an early corner, but Charlie Mpi shot behind from a narrow angle and then just failed to get a touch when Alan O’Brien’s hard low cross flew across the face of the goal. The impressive full-back Bradley Tarbuck, on loan from Portsmouth, stopped a dangerous Hungerford attack before Mark Draycott made an opening, but passed square instead of shooting. In injury time at the end of the half, Nathan Walker, looking suspiciously off side, tapped in from close range to increase Dorchester’s lead.
Although we battled hard down the slope in the second half and brought on all three subs in an attempt to turn the game round, the visitors matched us in effort and determination and we were unable to get past a solid defence, seldom creating an opening and the Magpies held on easily to record a win which was far better than their lowly league position suggested. We could have no complaints about the result, but remained in a play-off position, albeit with a tough battle ahead if we are to take part in that end-of-season shoot-out.