Recent good form following the appointment of Interim manager Wes Fogden, has seen Dorchester deliver two straight wins and they came into the game looking to pick up points against a playoff chasing Gosport. Fogden was unable to make the game which led to experienced manager Shaun North taking the reins for this one instead.

It was the hosts’ who took the lead on eleven minutes. Gosport countered rapidly through Trevor Caborn who took the ball upfield before slipping a ball through to Kasimu who ran onto the well-weighted pass before going through on goal and slotting a low-finish past Benfield to open the scoring.

The lead was doubled on 28 minutes when Gosport made the most of a calamity of errors made by the Dorchester backline. Benny Read from inside the opposition box, dinked in a cross which was met by Dickson who poked a shot which flew towards his own goal. Benfield was forced into parrying the ball away with it falling to Dan Wooden. Taking two touches, the striker managed to find the back of the net despite a tough angle to put Gosport firmly ahead.

With that Gosport carried on and largely dominated proceedings with it finishing at the break:

Half-Time | Gosport Borough 2-0 Dorchester Town.

Ten minutes after the break Dorchester had their best opportunity up until that point. Leading goalscorer for the Magpies, Parker, took it to the Gosport byeline, later cutting inside of Oastler and going for goal. The shot forced a save from Blackledge with the rebound falling to Moore just outside the box. The captain slashed his effort towards goal, containing venom but no real accuracy as it flew wide.

Five minutes onwards it was nearly three to BORO’ when Kasimu got onto the end of another ball lobbed over the opponent’s backline. Benfield quickly came off his line to absorb Kasimu’s powerful shot with the ricochet dropping to Brad Tarbuck. The Nu7 lines up a first time shot but struck the post.

Gosport did have the ball in the back of the net again on 68 minutes when Kasimu got onto the end of Ngalo’s cross. The goalscorer blasted an emphatic strike over the arms of Benfield and into the back of the net. However the referee judged Kasimu to be a fraction offside.

The real turning point came with twenty minutes left of the ninety when Brad Tarbuck was shown a second yellow following words said to the referee. Now Gosport were forced into defending a two goal lead with ten men.

It took a while for Dorchester to make the most of the extra man but they managed to shift momentum when they got one back on 80 minutes. Henry Blackledge looked to gather a cross, which he did, but when landing awkwardly dropped it straight to Williams who was there to stab home his effort to give his side a route back into the game.

Not too long after, the Magpies levelled. A ball into the Gosport box found Dorchester substitute Robinson. He managed to spin his defender, and rifle home to set up a nervy patch of additional time.

Gosport did manage to resolutely defend throughout added time, with it finishing:

Full-Time | Gosport Borough 2-2 Dorchester Town.

With Gosport being in such a comfortable position prior to the sending off, it certainly feels like points dropped rather than the one gained. BORO’ now look ahead to playing Basingstoke away twice, one in the Hampshire Cup and the other in the league, so we’ll see you then. But final words from me: UP THE BORO!!!

Picture by Jack Aldridge