Dorchester Town 4 Marine 1

Match Report from Pete Crockett

MAGPIES STEAL IT AT THE END

Sometimes a scoreline is an apt reflection of the match. On other occasions it can be a harsh distortion. This was the latter. Whilst on territorial pressure, and the strength of their final onslaught, Dorchester could be argued to have deserved their win the margin of victory does not reflect how close Marine were from leaving with a point.

This was a fighting Marine performance against a high flying opponent who last lost in the league sixteen matches ago in the reverse fixture at the Webbswood Stadium. This was not the drubbing the score line might suggest. The game was turned on its head by the 62nd minute introduction of substitute Marcus Daws who scored two goals and had an assist for another.

Whilst the home team had the greater possession in the early exchanges of the first half Marine defended resolutely and looked a threat on the break. On three minutes Wes Fogden drove into the box and fired a low shot that saw Fiachra Pagel in the Marine goal push his effort away. Five minutes later Luke Pardoe set up Olaf Koszela for a shot on goal that cleared the crossbar.

At the mid point of the first half Michael Fernandes was played in on goal by Olly Mehew. With the home keeper diving at his feet he dinked the ball over him but the goal bound effort was impressively cleared off the line by the backtracking John Dickson. Minutes later Marine came close again when an Olly Mehew cross was flashed across the six-yard box but just eluded the advancing Harry Williams.

The next two major incidents of the half saw the hosts twice threaten to open the scoring. The first on 38 minutes saw the Dorset sides John Dickson play in Wayne Robinson but Fiachra Pagel at the near post tipped his effort away.

Then in first half injury time Wes Fogden’s low shot from 20-yards hit the base of the goal post and bounced back to Wayne Robinson who netted but saw his celebrations cut short by the assistant’s upraised flag. The sense was that had the original effort gone in the goal would have stood but once it rebounded to the host’s number 11, who was in an offside position at the point of the initial effort, the assistant made the correct call.

With five minutes of the second half passed it was Marine’s turn to be foiled by the assistant’s flag. Some crisp passing outside the area saw Harry Williams played in on goal. He finished with assuredness but was correctly judged to have been marginally offside.

With 55 minutes on the clock a long range strike from the home team’s Luke Pardoe was palmed away by the Marine keeper. Minutes later the ball was kicked from the Marine goalies hands and then netted, after the referee’s whistle, by Shaquille Gwengwe. There was some befuddlement from those of a Marine disposition that the normal caution seen ninety nine times out of a hundred when such an incident occurs was not forthcoming.

On 67 minutes Dorchester opened the scoring when CORBY MOORE found the top corner netting from a loose ball. However, within three minutes Marine were on level terms. HARRY WILLIAMS advanced into the home team’s penalty area and equalised with a composed finish in which he fired the ball past the advancing keeper.

Dorchester were now applying incessant pressure but struggling to prise open the resolute Marine defence. The host’s Will Spetch went close on 75 minutes heading over from a Wes Fogden cross. Then Shaquille Gwengwe saw his effort on goal well blocked by Ioan Richards who was a colossus in the centre of the Marine defence. On 85 minutes the home side restored their lead when an angled drive from MARCUS DAWS found the back of the net.

At this point Marine will have hoped for a chance to build some momentum to seek a second equaliser. However, on 88 minutes the referee penalised Anton Dworzak for a trip on Marcus Daws as he advanced into the Marine area. Visiting players and supporters felt decidedly hard done by on two fronts.

The first being the penalty decision looked decidedly soft but the salt in the wound was that Marcus Daws initially won possession of the ball with what looked like the clearest of fouls on Marine’s Sam Turl. However, as the home team supporters under the covered terracing bayed for the spot kick the official, who was not “far from the madding crowd”, obligingly pointed to the spot. The kick was confidently converted by OLAF KOSZELA who hit the spot kick into the top corner of the net.

As Marine pushed forward to get back into the game the home team scored a fourth break away goal with the irrepressible MARCUS DAWS being played in by Olaf Koszela. With the day he was having it was a given that he would finish the opportunity which he did with panache sliding the ball past the Marine keeper.

In reality Dorchester probably deserved their victory on the basis of the relentless pressure they applied after the Marine equaliser. However, the margin of victory was a harsh reflection on the quality of the Marine performance. It looks like a hammering, was nothing of the sort, and on a different day and with a bit more fortune Marine could have left with points.

In terms of Marine’s player of the match the consensus was that Ioan Richards put in a tremendous performance and superbly snuffed out the threat from Dorchester’s proven goal scorer Shaquille Gwengwe.

In his post match interview Marine’s head coach Stuart Fleetwood highlighted how Marine went “toe-to-toe” with one of the best sides in the division. He also praised the effort of his players and felt he could not be overly critical as the scoreline was harsh on them. The Marine boss also felt they did not get the “rub of the green” and refereeing wise were on “the wrong end of decisions.”

This view was most certainly shared by the travelling support whose ironic cheers midway through the second half when they were awarded a rare free kick suggested that they also felt their team were not getting their fair share of the arbiter’s adjudications.

In summary Marine played better than the scoreline would suggest. However, Dorchester did what promotion chasing sides do and when the opportunity arose to secure victory finished clinically.

Dorchester Star Man: Marcus Daws
Marine Star Man: Ioan Richards
Attendance: 682

Line Ups

DORCHESTER TOWN
Manager: Tommy Killick
Colours: All Yellow
Line-up: 1. Harrison Lee 2. Jack Dickson (18. Ieuan Turner 90’) 3. Oliver Haste 4. Will Spetch 5. Jordan Ngalo (c) 7. Wes Fogden (16. Brendan Holmes 90’) 8. Corby Moore 9. Olaf Koszela 10. Shaquille Gwengwe 11. Wayne Robinson (17. Marcus Daws 70’) 19. Luke Pardoe
Subs Not Used: 15. Matt Buse, 20. Harry Hutchinson
Goalscorers: Corby Moore 75’ , Olaf Koszela 88’pen , Marcus Daws 86’, 90’
Cards:
Wayne Robinson 18’, Luke Pardoe 60’
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SWINDON SUPERMARINE
Head Coach: Stuart Fleetwood
Colours: All Yellow
Line-up: 1. Fiachra Pagel 2. Sam Turl 3. Ryan Campbell)_ 4. Jake Lee 5.Ioan Richards 6. Jamie Edge (14.Zack Kotwica 90’) 7. Anton Dworzak 20. Nick Peare (17.Gabriel Reivers 88’) 9. Harry Williams 10. Michael Fernandes 11. Olly Mehew (17.Lucias Vine 85’)
Subs not used: 13. Dan Brabham, 15. Liam Angel,
Goalscorers: Harry Williams 75’
Cards:
Anton Dworzak 88’
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Match Gallery

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Courtesy of Alex White Photography

Post Match Team Sheet

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Courtesy of Southern Football League

Match Officials

Referee: Dan Frizzell
Assistant Referees: Karl Stevens, Levi Gray