Manager Mark Molesley stuck with the exact same side that comprehensively beat Basingstoke on their own patch in midweek for the weekend trip to Dorchester Town. The game saw pretty much everything, sun, wind, rain, two goals, a missed penalty by the hosts and the strangest of red cards for the Magpies Will Spetch. An early tenth minute chance for the home side saw Olaf Koszela make space for himself on the right corner of the United box, his low driven shot beating the dive of Jacob Adams but thankfully Paul Field was well placed to clear the effort away off the line. With United having possession without testing home stopper Adam Forster thus far, it was the Magpies who created another opening in the 23rd minute by which time United had been forced to replace striker Charles Hagan with Omar Rowe due to a heavy Will Spetch tackle for which he was duly cautioned. Corby Moore fired in a corner from the right side that was only half cleared with the pursuant pinball being put out for another corner that was easily cleared this time around. United’s first chance on 27 minutes maybe should have led to the opening goal as Steve Ngunga found space on the right, moved past Ollie Haste and fired the ball across the six yard box to where Michael Fernandes arrived at the far post but he couldn’t get his feet sorted quick enough and he dragged the ball wide of the target. Shaquille Gwengwe tried a speculative 30 yarder soon after but was wide of the target and with six minutes left in the half another chance for United saw Omar Rowe feed the ball to Fernandes who this time found himself on the right side, he moved inside and shot for the gap at the near post but again his effort was wide of the target. United were hit just before the interval when another Moore corner this time found a seemingly unmarked Spetch at the far post and he calmly headed the Magpies in front and after 8 additional minutes the half ended with United a goal adrift. Nine minutes after the re-start the two sides were back on an even keel. Ngunga collected the ball on the right flank and cut inside before squeezing the ball through the centre of the Magpies defence to Fernandes who this time made no mistake at the far post for his third strike in two games. Within a minute United almost had another as Ngunga again worked space from just outside the area, this time he tried for goal himself only to be denied by Forster who tipped his effort around the post. Just past the hour mark a needless push in the United area saw referee Wilson award the hosts a penalty however a bit of argy bargy after the award saw cautions for United’s skipper Sanmi Odelusi presumably for the foul and also for the Magpies Spetch for reasons unknown and being his second caution he was dismissed from the field. Once things had settled and with the hosts down to ten men, Gwengwe stepped up with the chance to put his side ahead from 12 yards only to blast his spot kick over the bar by some margin and the score remained level at 1-1. 74 minutes had passed when Forster was again needed to deny United, the Magpies stopper going full stretch to push a Fernandes curler around the post. A chance apiece came inside the final ten minutes. Firstly the home side earned a free-kick on the edge of the United box, Moore fired for goal but was too high to trouble Adams and then at the other end nifty footwork from Fernandes saw him play the ball to Rowe but his effort sadly went the wrong side of the upright and it was honours even at the final whistle.
Report by Kevin Watts. United Man of the Match: Paul Field.