Two second-half goals secured a comfortable 2-0 away win for Wimborne Town over Dorset rivals, Dorchester Town, at the Avenue Stadium.

 

Former Dorch man, Will Fletcher, and Max Bustamante scored in the ‘Magpie derby’, helping the visiting Magpies to all three points despite a missed first-half penalty from Josh Carmichael.

 

Tim Sills made two changes from the midweek win over Yate Town, with Josh McQuoid and Max Bustamante coming in for the suspended Cam Munn and the injured Ajani Burchall.

 

Wimborne started the game on the front foot and thought they’d taken the lead just seven minutes in, after a ball over the top from Carmichael came off the head of a Dorchester defender, before being headed into the back of the net and past Joe Besant by Fletcher. However, the linesman adjudged it to be offside, with the defenders touch not ruled as intentionally playing the ball.

 

Five minutes later, after the hosts’ number ten Jadyn Crosbie played a threatening through ball into the box that was claimed by Cam Plain, the action worked its way up to the other end of the pitch where Lewis Williams side-stepped two defenders on the edge of the box and hit a shot that was blocked by former-Magpie Harvey Wright.

 

Minutes later, Williams was involved once again, as his drive into the box from the right hand side was illegally halted by Ollie Haste, who tripped the winger and forced the referee to point to the spot. Carmichael stepped up to take it, but his powerful effort rattled off the crossbar and bounced out to Bustamante who could only fire over.

 

The first-half ‘Lewis Williams show’ continued in the 24^th minute, as he shimmied past Haste in the box and was able to get a shot off from a tight angle, testing Besant into a good save.

 

On 35 minutes, Tom Killick’s Dorchester had arguably their best chance of the match, with Marcus Daws finding space to get a cross into the box towards Wayne Robinson who got his head on it and directed a strong attempt towards goal that was saved spectacularly by Plain.

 

Late on in the first 45, a long throw from Owen Roundell caused chaos in the Dorchester penalty area, with the ball bouncing around and giving him a chance to get into the box and fizz a low cross straight past everyone, before Bustamante worked the ball to Williams whose shot was saved once more by Besant.

 

Somehow goalless at the break, Wimborne thought they’d broken the deadlock after Bustamante’s cross was put away by Josh McQuoid in the 49th minute, but the linesman once again ruled out away jubilation.

 

However, seven minute later, the deadlock was finally broken. Captain Sam Jackson put in a cross of his own after Williams had won the ball high up the pitch, Besant failed to claim, and Fletcher’s guided header put Wimborne one up in the derby.

 

The celebrations continued when, in the 62^nd minute, Bustamante’s curled effort from the edge of the box was too strong for the keeper’s fingertips and made it 2-0 to put the visitors in the driving seat.

 

Fletcher looked determined to score again against his former club, with two carbon copy attempts that both flew over the bar before he was replaced by Joe Smith.

 

Smith himself had a late chance in stoppage time to get on the scoresheet, as his shot from inside the box travelled through multiple bodies and had to be tipped away for a corner by the Dorchester stopper.

 

The final whistle brought confirmation of a 2-0 victory for Wimborne Town on the road against their fellow Magpies, Dorchester Town. Roared on by fantastic away support, Wimborne now find themselves in fourth place with 21 points after 12 games, after another dominant display.

 

Next on the agenda for Sills’ side is a home tie against AFC Portchester in the FA Trophy next Saturday afternoon.

 

Plain; Eccott-Young, Walker, Roberts, Jackson; Roundell, McQuoid (Scorey 79’), Carmichael; Bustamante (Borges 70’), Williams (Richardson 87’), Fletcher (Smith 79’)

Report by Euan Thomas.