FARNBOROUGH 3

Owens 12, Young 37, Cullen 55

DORCHESTER TOWN 1

Bath 87

DORCHESTER Town slid to a sorry 3-1 BetVictor Southern Premier South defeat at Farnborough as the scrutiny on boss Callum Brooks intensified.

Fitting a pattern of previous away day losses, the damage was done in the first half as a goal from Boro’s Seth Owens in the opening portion of the game set the hosts on their way.

Charlie Davis had an effort cleared off the line but Farnborough struck 10 minutes later as Reggie Young blasted past the unfortunate Nick Hutchings, who had produced two superb early saves.

Davis and Tom Bath went close either side of the break but Boro showed the Magpies how to be clinical as Connor Cullen grabbed a third soon after Bath was denied.

Dorchester continued to scrap and did score a consolation when Bath fired home from sub Eder Batista’s pass with three minutes remaining.

Boro were able to see the game out as Dorchester’s league-worst defensive record – the Magpies now having conceded 42 times from 18 games – continues to haunt the county town side.

Brooks made five changes as gloveman Hutchings, Connal Morrison and Callum Rose plus midfielders Davis and Sean Wright came into the side.

Making way were keeper Shane Murphy, suspended captain Dan Strugnell, Plymouth duo Tom Purrington and Klaidi Lolos plus fellow Argyle man Michael Peck – the latter’s one-month loan having expired.

Needing a solid start after last week’s 6-3 loss to leaders Chesham United, Dorchester were on the backfoot inside the first minute as Hutchings was called upon to make a sharp stop for a corner.

Dorchester relieved the early pressure by clearing the set-piece but four minutes later Hutchings was worked again as a bright Boro probed for an early goal.

There was to be no reprieve for the Magpies in the 12th minute however, as defender Owens broke Hutchings’ resistance to leave Dorchester with work to do.

Morrison was replaced by sub striker Batista five minutes later, manager Brooks opting not to use the returning Kyle Egan after his two-month injury lay-off with a nasty knee ligament injury.

For a while, the Magpies showed promise as the visitors rode out the Farnborough purple patch with some enterprising play of their own.

Winger Tom Blair was at the heart of a good move on the right and the ball fell to Davis whose goalbound shot was cruelly blocked on the line by the Boro defence in the 26th minute.

Farnborough duly doubled the trouble for Dorchester when Young swept home past Hutchings in the 37th minute to the delight of the home faithful.

Davis, one of the bright lights for Dorchester, brought an excellent stop from home keeper Liam Beach four minutes before half-time, but the Magpies could not halve the deficit before the first period elapsed.

More positive play from the visitors ensued at the start of the second half as Tom Bath, collecting possession on the edge of the box, fizzed an effort at goal that an airborne Beach did well to tip over in the 53rd minute.

Beach’s intervention proved a golden one for the hosts as a minute later Cullen fired past Hutchings for 3-0, the striker then immediately replaced by Malakai Hinckson-Mars.

If Dorchester were to mount a comeback, it would have needed to have been sparked midway through the half and, attempting to jolt his side into some momentum, Billy Lowes surged forward but hooked his shot wide.

With 18 minutes to play, there was a lovely personal moment for Egan on his return from the sidelines, the former Exeter man coming on for Wright, albeit in trying circumstances.

As frustration grew for the visitors, Blair was booked, swiftly hauled off two minutes later for Jason Brookes.

Franklyn Clarke followed into the referee’s notebook before Dorchester scored what proved to be a late consolation in the 87th minute.

On the break, Batista was the creator as the forward rampaged down the left and crossed for ex-Tiverton striker Bath to blast past Beach.

However, Bath’s effort was too little, too late as Dorchester slumped to a fifth away league defeat in five games, heightening the pressure on boss Brooks ahead of a meeting with his former team Hamworthy United on Tuesday (7.45pm).

Farnborough: Beach, Alawode-Williams, Musungu (Tanner 46), Fearn, Francis, Owens, Sealy-Harris, Leggett, Cullen (Hinckson-Mars 56), Keetch (Emmanuel 80), Young. Subs not used: Akongo, Fosu.

Magpies: Hutchings, Sa, Martin, Rose, Clarke, Morrison (Batista 17), B Lowes, Bath, Davis, Blair (Brookes 82), Wright (Egan 72). Subs not used: Murphy, Torniainen.

Referee: George Warren

Attendance: 306

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