Dorchester Town: 2 Basingstoke Town: 1
All good runs have to end and the upset away to Dorchester Town on Saturday ended the Dragons’ unbeaten streak and was the third straight win for the Dorset side’s temporary management since the exit of Ashley Vickers.
The opening 10 minutes showed no sign of the result to come as the Dragons dominated the early stages on a damp and difficult looking pitch.
Town were finding their men well and the first chance of the game fell to them on seven minutes, Tim Sills meeting a Nathan Smart cross and heading narrowly wide.
Against the run of play, the hosts scored with their first attack of the game on 14 minutes.
Neil Martin crossed from the left, finding time and space for Ben Dickenson to rise above Jay Gasson to direct his header past Ashley Bayes.
On the half hour, Stuart Lake found his way into referee’s notebook for a clumsy challenge on Martin. More chances followed for the home side as keeper Bayes made a great reaction save to prevent Kyle Critchell’s near-post header from a corner.
Soon after, another scare for the Dragons saw striker Ryan Moss in behind the Town defence and he should have done better, firing across the face of goal.
In the second half Basingstoke’s woes doubled on 52 minutes. Bayes was unable to stop Martin putting the Magpies 2-0 up. Toby Little and Wes Daly got in each other’s way on the left, allowing Critchell space to cross for Martin who made no mistake heading home at the far post. It took the Dragons to go two behind through two defensive lapses before they produced their best football and could have grabbed at least a point from the game.
Just before the hour mark, Town made a change with Delano Sam-Yorke replacing David Pratt. On 63 minutes, the visitors were back in the game, a fine diagonal pass from Rice found Lake, but he was unable to control and the ball fell to Sills who made no mistake from 10 yards.
The hosts now looked a team that had had a difficult early start to the season and they looked uncomfortable with their slender lead. They could have eased their nerves when Dickenson headed Moss’ centre just over, but the Dragons could have levelled seconds later. Dorchester player of the month for October confirmed why the fans had made him such when he produced one of several fine late saves to secure the three points for his side.
Matt Warner found Sam-Yorke at the near post with a precision cross from the left and somehow the home keeper saved at his near post. Both sides made substitutions, but the flow was now with the visiting team and Warner was denied a certain goal by a brilliant block from the impressive Critchell.
Lake played Sam-Yorke in down the right channel and his low centre was taken away from the waiting Sills and Gradwell by Mark Jermyn's touch.
More chances followed for the visitors, with Lake firing wide from the edge of the area and Wes Daly being denied twice by Walker-Harris from a free kick and a tip-over from the edge of the area. Substitute Jidi Ogunbote failed to make proper contact six yards out from the resulting corner and Rob Gradwell shot wide on the turn.
In a frantic five minutes of injury time, the visitors threw everyone forward, seeking an equaliser, which almost came when Jermyn blocked Gradwell’s shot. But Dorchester broke away and should have made the game safe with a four-on-two, but somehow Nick Crittenden fired wide. The visitors had a claim for a handball in the area waived away by the referee when Jermyn made the block.
Despite a rallying end, it was not to be for the Dragons and the defeat would see them drop out of the top five. But it could be a blessing in disguise as they now move onto the FA cup game at Brentford on Saturday free of the pressure of remaining unbeaten.
