Eastbourne's Andy Atkin makes it 2-0
DORCHESTER TOWN
1	Martin Horsell
2	Jamie Cumming
3	Jake Smeaton
4	Mark Jermyn
5	Alex Browne
6	Roy O'Brien
7	Tareq Khalil		51
8	Jon Docker
9	Jones Awuah
10	Danny Clay
11	Jamie Gleeson
Substitutes
12	Gary Bowles
14	Tom Clarke		51
15	Mitchell Nicholson
17	Simon Evans
.
EASTBOURNE BOROUGH
1	Lee Hook
2	Darren Baker
3	Neil Jenkins
4	Darren Budd
5	Jay Lovett		78
6	Marc Pullan
7	Pat Harding
8	Paul Armstrong
9	Andy Atkin
10	Scott Ramsay		76
11	Matt Crabb		83
Substitutes
12	Nathan Crabb		83
14	Andy Ballard		78
15	Adam Wilde		76
16	Allan Tait
17	Dean Lightwood
.
Referee
David Woolford (Aimsbury)
.

Saturday 9th February 2008
		Dorchester Town	0
		Eastbourne Borough	4
		Budd 16, Atkin 24, Harding 60, Jenkins 76

Boro add to Magpies' woes

by Ky Capel

Dorchester's fight for survival in Blue Square South took another blow as they were comfortably beaten by promotion chasing Eastbourne Borough at the Jewson Stadium.

First half goals from Darren Budd and Andy Atkin were followed by efforts from Pat Harding and Neil Jenkins in the second to condemn the Magpies to their ninth league home defeat of the season.

And the day got worse for Dorchester as relegation rivals Welling United and Sutton United both won while St Albans City drew, meaning the Magpies sit six points adrift of safety.

Although 2-0 behind by the half-time interval it was the home side who had the first sight of goal when Jones Awuah's swivel and shot on the edge of the box was saved one handed by Lee Hook, but the Dorchester forward was adjudged to have handled as he brought the ball under control.

As the visitors began to exert their superiority on the game Roy O'Brien had to be alert to clear with Scott Ramsay for company just outside the six-yard area.

A minute before the opening goal the hosts saw strong appeals for a penalty turned down as Mark Jermyn went under the challenge of two jumping Boro defenders.

And the referee's decision left an ever bitter taste in the mouth when Matt Crabb's corner found Atkin who saw his header saved by Martin Horsell but Budd was first to react and poke the ball home.

O'Brien's close range effort was blocked in the midst of a penalty box melee following Jon Docker's floated free-kick.

The closest the county town side came to a goal was when skipper Alex Browne's header, from Jamie Cumming's forward pass, went the wrong side of Hook's left-hand post.

Matters got worse for the Magpies on 24 minutes when Horsell, on his competitive home debut, was caught cold under Neil Jenkins' cross. There looked to be no danger for the home keeper until Atkin stole in to rise higher and head into an empty net. A hint of the sun impairing Horsell's view was confirmed when the former Torquay United stopper chose to don a baseball cap with 30 minutes played.

In the 39th minute Horsell was again called into action but this time he did manage to keep the effort out albeit unconvincingly.

Matt Crabb found Harding completely unmarked and he hit a shot towards goal which Horsell's fingers turned just wide of a post to the relief of the home faithful.

The Magpies were presented with a golden chance to get themselves back in the game just before the hour mark but Browne's headed effort was once again placed wide when all alone in the opponents' 18-yard box.

And the hosts were made to pay for that miss two minutes later when Harding added a third goal. Another left-wing cross from Jenkins provided the assist as Harding lashed home from the penalty spot with his left foot to leave Horsell with no chance.

Striker Tom Clarke was brought into the action early in the second half and went close to scoring his first goal for the club, however, his half volley from distance was pushed over the top by Hook.

O'Brien's saving challenge prevented Ramsay from surely adding a fourth but from the resulting corner Jenkins climbed at the near post to power a header into the Magpies' goal.

The Dorchester player-coach then spared his own blushes when he cleared from near his own goal line after initially gifting the ball to the opposition.

The final minutes were played out rather comfortably by Eastbourne who weren't tested often enough by struggling Dorchester.

	MATCH STATS
5	TOTAL ATTEMPTS	9
2	ATTEMPTS ON TARGET	7
3	ATTEMPTS OFF TARGET	2
0	HIT WOODWORK	0
2	CORNERS	6
1	OFFSIDES	7
14	FREE-KICKS CONCEDED	21