DORCHESTER TOWN will face Hamworthy United in the quarter-final of the Dorset Senior Cup after beating Sherborne Town in the first round on Wednesday night.

Callum Brooks made a number of changes to his side as Nick Hutchings started in goal and Jack Torniainen, Neil Martin, Alfie Toland, River Smith and Eder Batista were all in from the off.

The hosts started brightly, however, as Hutchins tipped a shot just over the bar to keep Sherborne at bay.

The Magpies managed to break through after 18 minutes though and the ball fell to Batista who smashed a shot past the Sherborne goalkeeper to put Dorchester 1-0 up.

River Smith came close ten minutes later but had to watch his effort go narrowly wide of the post meaning the sides went into the break with the score at 1-0.

Goal scorer Batista was replaced at half-time by Oli Lowes, and the Magpies started the second half sluggishly.

Six minutes after the restart, Dorchester couldn’t defend a corner and Alex Murphy could convert to level the scores.

Sherborne, although underdogs, performed bravely throughout the second half and would have felt unlucky to not have been leading.

The referee opted to add on eight minutes of injury time, and it was the visitors who managed to steal the win and progress to the quarter-final.

River Smith slid in to meet an inch-perfect cross that was put into the box and put Dorchester all but into the next round.

The win comes from the first game in what Callum Brooks described as a ‘mini-preseason’ and he will hope it will prove to be the building blocks to help improve their league form.

Brooks told Echosport: “I am pleased to be through, but disappointed with the performance.

“Our main objective was to get through to the next round and we achieved that.

“We have played well and lost at times this season so we will take it and get the team ready for the league game on the 16th.

“We had an under-18 start at centre half, Jack Torniainen is from the Bournemouth youth system and he made his debut.

“They have no experience of men’s football, so it was men against boys and they showed real composure and quality and were a real credit to us. I was disappointed in the way some of the older players performed.”

Speaking about being on the right end of a last minute goal, Brooks commented: “That was one of the positives that came out of the game. We have been on the receiving end of conceding late goals far too often this season.

“At that point the conditions were terrible so any ball in the box was dangerous and it became a lottery really.”

Brooks also insisted that winning this match does not relieve any pressure from his team and insists they are always trying to do better.

“We always put ourselves under pressure. We want to do well in the Dorset Senior Cup, but our league campaign is miles away from where it needs to be.

“We need to address that and if we don’t it is going to be one long, hard season.”