TIVERTON TOWN 2

Allen 16, L Landricombe pen 69

DORCHESTER TOWN 0

TEN-man Dorchester Town were dumped out at the FA Cup second qualifying round stage after a pulsating 2-0 loss at Tiverton Town.

A highly-entertaining contest saw debutant keeper Alhaji Sesay receive two bookings either side of saving a 14th-minute Levi Landricombe penalty, River Allen then converting a free-kick on 16 minutes.

Callum Rose hit the post for Dorchester, while Liam Armstrong made a number of saves to preserve Tivvy’s lead, which was extended when Sesay brought down Landricombe in the box, the striker slotting home.

Dorchester manager Steve Thompson made three changes to the side that started last week’s 2-2 draw with Beaconsfield Town.

New goalkeeper Sesay took the gloves, while Ross Carmichael and Tom Blair claimed starts after a knee injury and a one-game suspension respectively, replacing the unavailable Kingsley Latham, Bristol Rovers’ loanee Josh Bailey and Alex Stafie.

Stafie dropped to the bench, where he was joined by last week’s five substitutes in Luke Winsper, Callum Thompson, Dom Panesar-Dower, Ben Morris and Michael Edgar.

Midfielder Ollie Griggs also returned to the matchday squad after three operations on an ankle infection this summer.

In atrociously wet conditions, with several players slipping on the soaking surface, Landricombe twice tried his luck to no avail from 35 yards, attempting to wrong-foot Sesay.

Tiverton were content to counter-attack early on and earned a penalty in the 14th minute when Carmichael felled Tom Bath from behind after a surging run from Harrison Davis.

However, Sesay, who was booked for dissent in the build-up, blocked Landricombe’s centrally-directed penalty with ease, Dorchester clearing the rebound.

Tiverton were to lead two minutes later, another foul on the edge of the box gifting a needless free-kick that Allen curled superbly past Sesay into the top-right corner.

Sesay booted the ball out of the ground in frustration and was lucky to avoid a second yellow after referee Craig Scriven, who made a number of debatable calls throughout, consulted with his linesman on the near touchline.

Tiverton’s protests were audible and a member of their backroom staff was booked. The incident seemed to hinder the hosts, whose play deteriorated significantly thereafter.

Dorchester surged forward with wave after wave of attack, Callum Rose heading against the post from a corner with home stopper Armstrong beaten.

After Jordan Rogers was booked for a sliding challenge on Neil Martin, Kyle Egan swung in a cross from the left that Tiago Sa flicked into the gloves of Armstrong.

Tivvy’s gloveman fortuitously escaped when Tiago Sa earned a corner, dropping the ball between his legs and collecting second time round.

Dorchester were quickly moving into the ascendancy and despite Cam Murray being clipped in midfield, Aaron Rodriguez twisted and turned before setting up Kite for a rasping shot that Armstrong parried then gathered.

Murray’s block tackle then presented the ball to Egan, whose delicious cross picked out the leaping Blair, whose powered header brought a fine stop from Armstrong.

Tiverton nearly scored a route-one second, Rogers flicking Armstrong’s delivery to Bath who drove just past the far post with Sesay helpless.

A cleverly-worked corner, again won by Sa, saw Kite step inside and see a shot blocked in the goalmouth before two balls across the six-yard box caused havoc in the Tiverton area, but Dorchester could not capitalise.

There was further controversy before half-time as Egan was hacked down, prompting Scriven’s whistle for the break and preventing the Magpies from taking a free-kick 25 yards out.

Scriven missed a clear handball by Landricombe after the resumption, and Allen nearly scored from another free-kick only to be denied by a sprawling Sesay.

Dorchester broke upfield after a Tivvy corner and twice saw Rodriguez shots blocked before a pivotal moment in the game.

Davis slipped in Landricombe down the right and he outpaced Carmichael, drawing a needless foul from Sesay near the byline for a second yellow.

Carmichael made way for Mike Edgar but Landricombe sent the debutant keeper the wrong way, slotting home to his right.

Dorchester gallantly tried to work a way back into the match, but Yellows went closer when Bath struck the near post from 18 yards, the hosts holding on to book their first third qualifying round tie in a decade.

Tiverton: Armstrong, Key (Hall 86), Hurst, Price, Mammola, M Landricombe, Davis (Phillips 83), Allen, Bath, L Landricombe, J Rogers (Randall 73). Subs not used: Gardner, Reay, G Rogers.

Magpies: Sesay, Egan, Martin (Stafie 76), Rose, Carmichael (Edgar 68), Kite, Murray, Lowes, Blair (Winsper 76), Sa, Rodriguez. Subs not used: C Thompson, Panesar-Dower, Morris, Griggs

Referee: Craig Scriven

Attendance: 307

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