Regan Coward made his debut in the Magpies' goal
DORCHESTER TOWN
1	Regan Coward
2	Mark Jermyn
3	Jake Smeeton
4	Danny Clay
5	Kevin Hill
6	Gary Bowles
7	Nick Crittenden
8	Jamie Mudge
9	Ryan Moss
10	Wes Fogden
11	Jamie Gleeson		66
Substitutes
12	Nathan Peprah Annan
14	Darren Watts		66
15	Patrece Liburd
16	R. Marsh-Brown
17	Alex Browne
CHELMSFORD CITY
1	Danny Gay
2	Justin Miller
3	Spencer Knight
4	Andy Duncan
5	Steve Ward		88
6	Dave Rainford
7	Ollie Berquez
8	Jeff Minton
9	Kevin James		54
10	Bertie Brayley		71
11	Ricky Holmes
Substitutes
12	Jason Hallett
14	Jon Keeling		54
15	Chris Moore		71
16	Steve Robinson		88
19	Ashley Harrison
Referee
C. Powell (Poole)

Saturday 18th October 2008
		Dorchester Town	0
		Chelmsford City	1
		Rainford 3

City pile on the misery

by Ky Capel

A David Rainford goal inside three minutes was enough to give Chelmsford City victory at the Jewson Stadium and extend the Magpies' winless run at home in Blue Square South to six games.

On chances created Dorchester deserved something out of the game, but it is goals that win matches and the county town side's failure to find the back of the net saw them come away with nothing.

The defeat leaves Shaun Brooks' men in 18th spot and just one point above the relegation zone.

The day did not get off to the best of starts as first-choice keeper Gareth Stewart was struck down with flu so teenager Regan Coward made his first competitive appearance for the Magpies.

Illness also kept Mitchell Nicholson on the sidelines while Tom Mitchell (ankle) failed to make the squad, which meant that Danny Clay won back his spot in the midfield holding role.

And Coward's confidence would not have been helped when, with just three minutes on the clock, the visitors scored with their first attack.

A Kevin James corner found its way to the back post where Rainford was on hand to head home the opening goal.

Dorchester's first opening came in the 19th minute when Nick Crittenden set Wes Fogden free.

Unfortunately though, the ball got caught under Fogden's feet as Justin Miller tracked back to put him under pressure.

Four minutes later and Fogden turned provider for Ryan Moss, but City keeper Danny Gay was quick off his line and snuffed out the danger.

Neither side created anything else of note, and the remainder of the first half petered out with the hosts failing to muster a single shot in the entire 45 minutes.

The Magpies almost registered their first attempt two minutes after the interval but following Spencer Knight's mistake Gay raced out of his goal and thwarted Moss 10 yards out just as he was about to strike.

Moss was probing away up front, winning more than his fair share of aerial battles, and the former Bashley man's work produced a corner just before the hour.

Crittenden's delivery was knocked down by Kevin Hill into the path of Gary Bowles who struck it first time.

However, his effort was blocked before it had the chance to trouble Gay in the City goal.

And just as Moss thought he had been put clean through by Mark Jermyn moments later, the referee's assistant raised his flag to the dismay of the Dorchester bench, players, and supporters.

When the Magpies' first shot at Gay finally arrived it so nearly brought about the equalising goal.

Moss cut the ball back for Fogden some 12 yards out and his low effort was palmed away only as far as Jamie Mudge.

But Dorchester's joint top scorer was denied by a goal-line clearance from visiting skipper Andy Duncan.

Chelmsford then saw substitute Jon Keeling blaze over at the far post and Jermyn deny another Claret replacement Chris Moore with a last ditch tackle after the striker had robbed Bowles of possession.

As the ball was cleared following Jermyn's intervention, Jeff Minton was penalised for handball and presented Dorchester with a set piece opportunity from 30 yards.

A routine involving Moss, Hill and Crittenden, resulted in the latter driving towards goal and seeing his fierce shot pushed out for a corner by Gay.

With eight minutes to go, and Dorchester searching for parity, Moss sent a header, from Darren Watts' centre, just wide of goal.

Ricky Holmes then jinked his way into the Magpies' box before sending a curling effort narrowly past Coward's right-hand post.

As the seconds ticked by and the match entered five minutes of added time, Bowles met a Crittenden corner but saw his bullet header go agonisingly the wrong side of the Chelmsford goal.

And with that miss went the final opportunity to salvage something from the contest.

	MATCH STATS
5	TOTAL ATTEMPTS	5
3	ATTEMPTS ON TARGET	1
2	ATTEMPTS OFF TARGET	4
0	HIT WOODWORK	0
5	CORNERS	2
4	OFFSIDES	2
10	FREE-KICKS CONCEDED	10