FA Trophy - Dorchester and Salisbury go to replay

Match Report

Salisbury v Dorchester Town

Dorchester Town had to settle for a draw away at Salisbury after leading the match three times in the FA Trophy First Qualifying round.

Three changes were made to the side that lost to Wimborne, as Antonio Diaz, Tom Purrington and Sean Wright all started the game, with Ash Wells, Charlie Davis and Luke Winsper all missing out. It was the away side who started the game electrically. After just two minutes, and long-throw came into Tom Bath, who managed to turn and finish neatly in the bottom corner.

Barely ten minutes later and The Magpies could have made it two. Lowes cut through the defence and the ball fell for Bath who fired it off the post, missing the chance to double his and Dorchester’s tally. Dorchester had a number of good chances for the rest of the first half which they couldn’t take meaning they went into the break with a slender one-goal lead.

It was the home side, however, who started the second half brightly. Shane Murphy was forced into making a save just five minutes after the restart. The clean sheet was gone after 53 minutes though as Dan Flitchett equalised for The Whites. It took just five minutes for Dorchester to respond, Purrington was fouled in the box and Tom Bath sent the keeper the wrong way to restore his side’s lead. With twenty minutes left to play, Salisbury pulled level again. The ball was played out wide before being fired home to restore parity again.

Tom Blaire thought he won the match for his side with 88 minutes on the clock. Diaz played him through on call, and Blair calmly finished to seemingly put Dorchester through to the next round.

It wasn’t to be, however, as Toby Holmes equalised despairingly late as the match went into injury time, meaning Dorchester had thrown away a lead three times.

Dorchester manager told Echosport: “To have taken the lead as late as we have and to have led three times, it’s without a doubt disappointing that we couldn’t get over the line.

“Within the game, there were many positives, but for me, the reason we didn’t progress today was being we only put one of our chances away in the first half.

“We’ve looked at the positives. We’ve scored three goals away at one of the best and most powerful teams in our league. They certainly have one of the most powerful budgets in the league.

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