Ashley Vickers congratulates Phil Walsh on his equaliser
DORCHESTER TOWN
1	Ryan Northmore
2	Harry Montacute
3	Jake Smeeton
4	Ian Selley
5	Mark Jermyn
6	Ashley Vickers
7	Neil Martin
8	Jamie Gleeson
9	Phil Walsh
10	Matt Groves
11	Ivan Forbes
Substitutes
12	Tom Mitchell
14	Harry Nodwell
15	Nick Crittenden
16	Ryan Moss
17	Regan Coward
BATH CITY
1	Steve Perrin
2	Sekani Simpson
3	Jim Rollo
4	Matt Coupe
5	Gethin Jones
6	Adam Connolly
7	Sido Jombarti		71
8	Mark Badman		46
9	Darren Edwards
10	Kaid Mohamed		86
11	Lewis Hogg
Substitutes
12	Mike Perrott		71
14	Marcus Browning		46
15	Raiff Gwinnett		86
16	Ashley Caldwell
17	Owen Dunn
Referee
-

Saturday 29th August 2009
		Dorchester Town	2
		Martin 19, Walsh 45
		Bath City	2
		Badman 25, Edwards 41

Walsh stops the rot for Magpies

by Adam Summers

Phil Walsh netted against his former club to help Dorchester claim a deserved draw and end a winless run of four league games against Bath City at the Jewson Stadium.

Neil Martin gave the Magpies the lead before an error by keeper Ryan Northmore and a slip by Mark Jermyn enabled Mark Badman and Darren Edwards to turn the tables.

Walsh then levelled in the dying seconds of the first half before a nervy second period saw chances squandered at both ends in what was an enthralling encounter. Magpies’ boss Roy O’Brien made three changes to the starting XI that began last Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Bromley with Jake Smeeton, Harry Montacute and new-signing Ian Selley replacing Gary Bowles, Tom Mitchell and Nick Crittenden.

Bowles missed out due to an ankle problem while Mitchell and Crittenden began on the bench where they sat alongside Regan Coward, Harry Nodwell and Ryan Moss. Skipper Kevin Hill missed out due to a foot injury. Former Weymouth defender Ollie Barnes was also present in the warm-up but was unable to play as he was still awaiting confirmation of his registration from the league. There was also an ex-Terras contingent in the Bath squad with Sido Jombarti starting in midfield and Marcus Browning being named amongst the substitutes along with Raiff Gwinnett.

A frantic start saw Selley test City stopper Steve Perrin with a free-kick that squeezed under the defensive wall on seven minutes but neither side were able to retain possession for a sustained period.

Matt Groves showed good movement on occasions to break into the channels and hold the ball up but when he found a colleague more often than not the follow up ball into the box was poor.

In truth the play from both sides was pretty dire in the opening exchanges but then on 20 minutes the Magpies livened things up by taking the lead.

Jamie Gleeson swung in a superb corner and after Walsh’s flick on was kicked off the line by Adam Conolly after a huge ricochet, Martin sent in a shot from 30 yards that deflected into the right corner of the net beyond the despairing dive of Perrin.

That goal lifted the Magpies and four minutes later a superb flowing move saw Ivan Forbes find Walsh, who in-turn laid in Martin whose shot from 17 yards was expertly pushed wide of the near post.

Bath looked shaken but just two minutes later they were gifted an equaliser when Northmore flapped at a long throw-in, allowing Badman to scramble the ball across the line from close range.

The action was now swinging from end to end with Kaid Mohamed nodding a great chance straight at Northmore just seconds before Walsh got on the end of a cross from Martin only to see his header saved by Perrin.

City were certainly showing more invention going forward now and on 41 minutes a long ball over the top saw Edwards race through only to be thwarted by a fantastic covering tackle from Smeeton.

However, Bath persisted and just 60 seconds later they went ahead when Jermyn’s slip on the edge of the area enabled Edwards to advance into the box, cut inside Montacute and knock the ball past Northmore.

It was another poor goal to concede but to the home side’s credit they immediately hit back in the final few seconds of the half when Forbes chipped the ball to the back post from the right by-line for Walsh to head in from a couple of yards.

After the break the frantic nature of the game continued with Groves and Forbes both having shots superbly blocked in a goalmouth scramble and Edwards having an effort saved by Northmore shortly after. Despite the introduction of Browning at half-time, Bath were not looking anything like the force they were in the closing stages of the first half and as the game wore on it was the hosts that showed more ambition to find a winner.

Walsh fired into the side-netting from an acute angle before Selley sent a low drive just wide after gambling on a half clearance on the edge of the box.

However, the best two chances of the period fell to Bath substitute Mike Perrott in the closing stages. The attacking midfielder had a shot expertly pushed over the bar by Northmore, who then held a tame header from the same player just seconds later when he should have scored.

Perrin then made two great saves to deny Walsh and Gleeson at the other end in the dying seconds but over the course of the game a draw was the fair result.