SHOLING 1

D Mason 59

DORCHESTER TOWN 2

Fletcher 4, Ngalo 16

RED-HOT Dorchester Town took a third victory in four away games, pushing Sholing into the Pitching In Southern League Premier South drop zone with a 2-1 win.

Amid a sensational sequence of 10 games unbeaten, the Magpies have flown into ninth place.

They remain an outside shot for the play-offs, needing to close a nine-point gap to Merthyr in fifth with only four games remaining.

Dorchester were 2-0 up in 16 minutes at Sholing as Will Fletcher’s close-range finish and Jordan Ngalo’s long-distance missile gave the Magpies a healthy cushion.

READ MORE: Sholing 1-2 Dorchester Town - how it happened

Sholing threw everything at Dorchester in the second half and had two goals ruled out either side of Dan Mason’s strike on the hour.

Just as they did during the 1-0 win at Hayes & Yeading, though, Dorchester defended tenaciously to protect their lead and secure a sixth win from seven matches.

Dorchester made two enforced changes to the side that began against Hayes, with Jack Dickson joining Will Spetch as suspended until the final day, while Marcus Daws (calf) was injured.

Drew Eccott-Young and Fletcher were promoted from the bench, Bournemouth loanee Harry Redknapp Jr was finally named among the Magpies' 16 and Lewis Toms earned a recall.

Luke Roberts, Lewis Waterfield and Jonny Efedje all kept their places in the squad.

Dorchester’s best run for 19 years showed no signs of stopping from the very first whistle and it took fewer than four minutes for the Magpies to open the scoring.

Sholing could not clear their lines and Fletcher pounced after pinball in the box to record his ninth goal of the season.

Sholing, who began the day on the bubble of the relegation zone, were denied an equaliser when Luton loanee keeper Jameson Horlick repelled Lee Wort after the hosts had caught the Magpies napping from a throw-in.

However, the purity of Ngalo’s 30-yard strike just one minute later handed Dorchester a 2-0 lead as the skipper rifled home a beauty beyond ex-Weymouth keeper Bert White.

In an entertaining first half, Sholing were playing their part as Mason headed a good chance wide from 12 yards.

Dorchester could have extended their lead but for Sholing retreating rapidly to snuff out Shaq Gwengwe’s opening.

Wort was then unlucky to witness his deflected strike fly over, although his effort began a trend of Sholing pressure in the second half.

Dorchester tired, given their exertions in recent weeks, and Sholing on 51 minutes had a goal ruled out for offside before Mason was given too much room 18 yards out to fire beyond Horlick.

Sholing were now in full cry as Mason shot wide before Wort worked Horlick into a good stop in the 63rd minute.

Dorchester were denied from a corner but the Magpies increasingly chose to protect their lead in the second half, Ngalo taking a late booking to help disrupt Sholing’s flow.

The Magpies still carried a threat of their own as Ollie Haste’s cross shaped just out of reach of sub Luke Roberts at the far post in the 89th minute as Dorchester chased a killer third goal.

And a late red card for Sholing's Owen Roundell-Prince inadvertently helped wind down the clock as Dorchester closed out another impressive away win.

Sholing: White, Flannigan (Baker-Neto 80), Targett, Milner-Smith (Chalwell 55), Miller, B Mason, Davis (Hesketh 80), Roundell-Prince, D Mason, Wort, Stedman. Subs not used: Anderson, MacAllister.

Magpies: Horlick, Eccott-Young, Haste, Turner, Ngalo, James, Koszela (Waterfield 90+2), Moore, Fletcher, Gwengwe (Roberts 77), Pardoe (Efedje 74). Subs not used: Toms, Redknapp Jr.

Referee: Thomas Baines.

Attendance: 321.