DORCHESTER TOWN 3

Smith 29, 34, Walsh 62

PAULTON ROVERS 4

Evans 55, 80, Walker 89, Brice 90+3

DORCHESTER Town suffered a dramatic late collapse at the Avenue this afternoon, as Paulton skipper Scott Brice came back to haunt his former club with a winning goal in the dying seconds of the game.

The Magpies led 2-0 and 3-1 before goals from Dean Evans, Jordan Walker and Brice secured a priceless three points for the visitors.

Dan Smith’s quickfire brace in the first half put the hosts two goals to the good, and although Evans got one back, Mason Walsh’s cool finish around the hour mark appeared to be enough to give the home side victory.

But Dorchester ended up letting a lead slip in the closing stages of a game for the second Saturday running.

Before kick-off, boss Graham Kemp, who has added Bournemouth Poppies’ defender Connor Doe to his squad on non-contract terms, made three changes to the Dorchester side that started at St Neots.

Ryan Murray, Jamie Gleeson and Smith came in for Jack Odam, Tony Rolls and Kieron Parrett.

And Smith was the architect of the first real chance of the game 10 minutes in.

He picked up a long ball and drove into the Paulton area before finding an unmarked Walsh at the back post.

The winger struck his effort well but a Rovers defender managed to deflect the ball just wide for a corner.

Paulton threatened Dorchester’s goal for the first time nine minutes later, Brandon Barnes curling a free-kick from the edge of the Magpies’ area inches past the upright.

A lull in proceedings was then broken in style by Smith who rocked Paulton with two goals in the space of five minutes.

The first saw him beat a couple of defenders, and overcome the bobbly Avenue pitch, to fire a low left-foot shot past visiting keeper Kyle Phillips.

Then, after Sam Teale had cleared a Walsh cross from underneath his own bar, the latter supplied the centre from which made it 2-0, lashing the ball home from 12 yards.

Dorchester could, and probably should, have got a third three minutes before the break.

A flick from Robbie Matthews, booked earlier on for a challenge on Brice, found Smith and his cross was asking to be despatched by Walsh.

However, Walsh could only steer the ball wide from no more than eight yards.

Paulton made the better start to the second half and they went agonisingly close to halving the deficit in the 47th minute.

Scott Wilson and Evans linked up superbly on the left and when Darren Jeffries met the former’s cross on the volley the ball whistled past Alan Walker-Harris’ right-hand post.

But soon after it was 2-1.

A ball into the danger zone wasn’t fully dealt with by Chris Dillon and, after Matt Oldring had done well to prevent Wilson scoring, Evans blasted the loose ball into the back of the net.

However, the hosts’ two-goal cushion was restored on 62 minutes.

Star of the first half Smith set Walsh free in acres of space on the left and he netted for the second Saturday running with a neat finish across Phillips.

Three almost became four but Phillips beat away a stinging Gleeson drive from distance, before Smith let fly with an angled effort that went over.

Walsh’s strike seemed to knock the stuffing out of the visitors, who then had to take a few risks in an attempt to get something from the fixture.

And keeper Phillips certainly rode his luck at times, particularly when he came close to being robbed of the ball by both Matthews and Walsh.

But from a routine cross into the Dorchester area the away side gave themselves hope of salvaging a point.

Wilson was in the thick of it again and when the ball fell to Evans he made no mistake.

From there on in it was the county town side on the back foot as the possibility of a Paulton comeback became more and more likely.

And the worst fears of the Magpies’ fans were realised when substitute Walker glanced in a Barnes corner, then, deep in injury time, Brice headed in another set-piece to complete a remarkable turnaround.

Magpies: Walker-Harris, Murray, Oldring, Gleeson, Walker, Dillon, Robinson, Lanahan (Odam 90), Matthews, Smith, Walsh. Subs not used: Hanger, Rolls, Brookes, Parrett.

Paulton: Phillips, Tovey, Teale, Williams, Brice, Barnes, Green (J Jeffries 86), Bryant (Walker 77), Wilson, Evans, D Jeffries (Gibbons 66). Sub not used: Anson.

Bookings: Magpies – Matthews (foul, 36), Walker (time-wasting, 80)

Paulton – Evans (foul, 72)

Referee: Sam Ogles (Eastleigh)

Attendance: 286