WIMBORNE TOWN 2

Bayston 71, Lee 78

DORCHESTER TOWN 1

Blair 10

DORCHESTER Town surrendered a 1-0 half-time lead as Wimborne Town scored twice in seven second-half minutes to win 2-1 at Cuthbury in the BetVictor Southern Premier South.

Tom Blair gave Dorchester a 10th-minute lead when the winger powered a finish underneath goalkeeper Cameron Plain.

Dorchester’s Tom Bath nodded a good chance wide soon afterwards, while Wimborne’s Stefan Penny was lucky to avoid red for what appeared to be a two-footed lunge.

However, Dorchester, chasing a third game unbeaten, were sluggish in the second half and failed to seriously test Plain.

Wimborne seemed up for the fight and duly equalised in the 71st minute when Sam Bayston drove past Magpies’ keeper Shane Murphy.

The comeback was completed when Tony Lee’s arcing header beat Murphy to hand Wimborne a much-needed victory.

Dorchester had the luxury of naming just one change as defender Ashley Wells came in for midfielder Tom Purrington.

Wells was an unused substitute in parent club Weymouth’s 2-1 FA Cup fourth qualifying round defeat to Dover, giving the Magpies a pair of fresh legs in their back line after a 2-0 win over Yate on Saturday.

With both teams locked on 12 points prior to kick-off, this contest took on extra significance.

Danny Holmes’ side had failed to beat Dorchester in their past four games, the last success coming in November 2017 with a 2-0 victory in the Dorset Senior Cup.

However, the seriousness of the occasion was at odds with a comical moment in the sixth minute.

Neil Martin, attempting to cut out a Curtis Young cross, slid in at pace and took out the linesman after Young had evaded the challenge in the sixth minute.

Wimborne went closer when Wells blocked ex-Magpie Lee’s shot for a corner, but the hosts could not muster a shot on target.

It would be the visitors who struck first, though. A quick break featured a ball played in low to Bath whose dummy set up Blair, the winger firing home underneath the grasp of home gloveman Plain in the 10th minute.

Wimborne retaliated immediately with what proved to be their best chance of the half.

Luke Burbidge’s raking crossfield pass picked out Curtis Young and the winger rifled a shot at Murphy, who stood firm to beat the effort clear.

Murphy’s save was followed in the 20th minute by a superb chance for Bath, who flicked a header narrowly wide from Dan Strugnell’s cross.

Wimborne were enjoying more possession at this stage and Burbidge twisted and turned 18 yards out under close attention from the Dorchester defence before Billy Maybury scooped a shot well over.

A moment of high controversy came on the half hour when Penny appeared to fly in two-footed but was lucky to escape a red, receiving a booking only.

Luke Winsper was also cautioned for kicking the ball away after an ensuing melee.

Lee then went close with an acrobatic effort before Wimborne’s Sam Bayston headed over from a Burbidge free-kick just before half-time.

After the break, Murphy required treatment when he came off worse from a 50-50 challenge with Burbidge, but the ex-Totton stopper was able to continue.

Dorchester Callum Brooks made a like-for-like change in the 56th minute when Purrington replaced Charlie Davis.

Wimborne’s Sam Poole, formerly of Weymouth, nodded wide from a Burbidge free-kick and Blair was then unlucky to fire over after bursting into the penalty area.

Dorchester had struggled for fluency in the second half and Wimborne capitalised in the 71st minute when Bayston rifled a shot past the helpless Murphy.

Wimborne completed the turnaround seven minutes later when Burbidge’s cross was nodded home by Lee, Murphy unable to keep the looping effort out.

As fog rolled in over Cuthbury, Dorchester’s chances dimmed despite Brooks making two attacking changes as Antonio Diaz and River Smith came on for Callum Rose and Winsper respectively.

Blair did aim a powerful shot over the bar but Wimborne wound the clock down expertly, making two late substitutions as the hosts held on with ease to their first league victory in five games.

Dorchester visit Salisbury in the FA Trophy first qualifying round on Saturday, while Wimborne host Taunton Town (3pm).

Wimborne: Plain, Penny, Maybury, Davidson, Poole, Pettefer, Young, Clarke, Lee (Roberts 90+1), Burbidge, Bayston (Stokoe 87). Subs not used: Doe, Byrne, Hester.

Magpies: Murphy, Wells, Sa, Martin, Strugnell, Rose (Diaz 81), B Lowes, Bath, Davis (Purrington 56), Blair, Winsper. Subs not used: Wright, Hutchings.

Referee: Sean Jenkins

Attendance: 361

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