Point ensures Magpies survive

DORCHESTER TOWN got the point they needed to preserve their Premier Division status for another season, with all the action taking place in the closing minutes.

Urged on by their travelling support, the Magpies were close to taking the lead in only the eighth minute when David Jerrard surged into the penalty area before being halted by a perfectly timed tackle from Stratford skipper James Fry, with Neil Martin blazing the loose ball wildly over.

Shortly after that,

STRATFORD TN 1 DORCHESTER TN 1

Dorchester had keeper Shane Murphy to thank for them not going behind as he plunged to his right to push Mike Taylor’s fiercely struck drive round the post.

From then on, there were few clear cut chances and the Magpies only other ontarget effort before the break was Jordan Williams’ glancing header, which was safely held by keeper Niall Cooper.

With the news filtering through that both Cambridge City and Kings Langley were winning, there was even more pressure on the visitors after half-time, but the game became very flat as Stratford struggled to get their passing game going and Dorchester concentrated on not making any disastrous mistakes.

But in the 80th minute the hosts made a decisive error when George Forsyth underhit his backpass, allowing Jerrard to reach it before Cooper and, after stumbling into the penalty area, he recovered to slot it in from a narrow angle.

Then with a minute of normal time to go, the match took another twist when Will Grocott’s cross from the right was bundled in by Dan Summerfield from close range to level the scores.

With the tension now rising almost by the second, Stratford sub Simeon Tulloch was sent off deep into added time and the hosts also had a late penalty appeal turned down.