By James Gray
Dorchester Town will play the first of a crucial pair of fixtures to close out 2025 on Saturday (3pm KO), when they travel to face Tiverton Town in the Southern League Premier South.
Tiverton currently sit bottom of the division and have only two league wins to their name, however one of those did come against Dorchester in a 3-1 victory at the Avenue Stadium last August.
Magpies boss Tom Killick will be all too aware of the importance with which a win could prove for his charges as they continue their quest to move further away from the relegation zone.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Dorchester's trip to Devon.
Tiverton In Brief
Founded: 1913
Nickname: Tivvy
Stadium: Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium
Capacity: 3,500
Playing Surface: Grass
League Position: 22nd
Ones To Watch
Louis Jagger Cane is top scorer (five) for Tivvy in the league this season, with two of the forward's strikes coming against the Magpies in a 3-1 win earlier this season.
Daniel Koita is another lively attacker for Dorchester's defence to watch carefully. Koita has scored twice in the league this campaign, with his goals towards the end of last season proving crucial in helping Tivvy avoid relegation.
The Gaffer
Player-manager Asa Hall was initially given interim control of first-team matters last March, before his appointment was made permanent shortly before the end of the 2024/25 season.
Hall helped steer Tivvy to safety on a dramatic final day of league action, with a 3-2 win over Marlow, combined with results elsewhere, securing their place in the Southern League Premier South for another season.
Previous Meeting
Tivvy were deserved victors against the Magpies back in August, when they won 3-1 at the Avenue Stadium.
The Devon-based side went 1-0 up inside the first three minutes of the match, after Jacob Wellington converted a penalty. Dorchester responded in the 11th minute through Tom Smith's first goal for the Magpies.
However, it was the visitors who ended the first half in the lead, courtesy of a Jagger Cane effort. Shortly after the break, Jagger Cane scored his second and Tivvy's third goal of the contest, giving his side a lead that proved insurmountable for Dorchester.
Form Guide
Magpies - DDWLW
Dorchester have lost only one of their last five matches in all competitions and come into Saturday's contest in buoyant mood, after a comfortable 4-1 win over Gillingham Town in the Dorset Senior Cup.
Tivvy - LLLDL
Tiverton are winless in the league since September - a sequence of results that has seen the club fall to bottom of the table. But if Tivvy are in need of a good omen, they need only look to August's reverse league fixture, when Asa Hall's side won 3-1 at the Avenue Stadium.
Team News
Will Spetch and Wayne Robinson are suspended for the Magpies, while Wes Fogden remains sidelined through injury. Marcel McIntosh could be in line for his first start as a Dorchester player, after his signing was announced shortly before last Saturday's league defeat to Sholing.
Admission Prices
Any Dorchester supporters making the trip to Tiverton can purchase their match tickets in advance via the Fanbase app here. Prices are as follows:
Adults: £12
Concessions: £9
16 to 18-year-olds: £3
Under 16s: £1
Travel Information
By Car: Take Junction 27 on the M5 and head towards Tiverton on the A361 for about seven miles. Ignore the first junction for A396 Tiverton and Bickleigh (Gornhay Cross) and keep going a little further until you reach a large roundabout.
Turn left at the roundabout and take the first exit for the Town Centre and Castle. Continue for about 400 yards, passing a college, sports fields and Tiverton Rugby club until you meet a mini roundabout.
Go straight across the mini roundabout and carry on driving for another 200 yards. Turn right - just beyond the BP station - and you should arrive at the Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium.
By Train: The nearest station to the Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium is Tiverton Parkway. Supporters making the trip by rail should please note that this station is several miles away from the stadium and further transport will be required in order to reach the ground.