Match Preview | Dorchester Town

Tiverton Town vs Dorchester Town

Saturday 20th December 3pm Kick off

The Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium

The weather gods are not being kind to us at the moment, let's hope that changes before Saturday, for the visit of Dorchester. Victories have been in short supply this term, but the Magpies were an early victim for Asa Hall and Steve Orchard's side. Given what's happened since, the chance to do the double will probably need to be taken, with points and wins becoming a necessity. 

Harry Hutchinson who featured on that evening back in the August for the Dorset side, may be ruled out of this one with the terms of his loan agreement, but the Yellows will be monitoring the fitness of Louis Jagger Cane who returned to action as a second half substitute on Saturday against Farnham and may play a fuller part at the weekend. 

Illness and injury robbed Tiverton of Corey Koerner and Brooklyn Wilkins respectively, the former before kick-off and the latter with only ten minutes on the clock, in Saturday’s defeat.  Physio Tony Cornish will be aiming to have as many players as he can be available for the management team, in what is another crucial game in the scheme of things. 

Dorchester arrive at the Slee Blackwell Stadium on the back of a 4-1 win in the Dorset Senior Cup, when Gillingham Town were their opponents. Former Yellows favourite Joe Parker helping himself to a first half hattrick. On Saturday however Tom Killick’s men, suffered defeat at the hands of Sholing on the road, in league action. 

The Magpies sit outside the relegation places, although it's not been a walk in the park for them and many thought they would be challenging further up the table this season. Dorset rivals Poole Town manager for many years Tom Killick who was a popular striker for the team he is now overseeing, is a wily operator in this division. 

A major signing for him in the off season was that of Joe Parker from Tiverton. Parker has six goals from seventeen games this term and the ex-Gloucester City player is a threat that Asa Hall will know all about. I’m sure he will receive a good reception, as he returns to the scene of many inspirational displays. 

Wayne Robinson and Jadyn Crosbie are other attacking threats. Robinson on his day is a very dangerous attacker who has played for the likes of Salisbury and Sholing. Powerful, pacy and with good feet, the 24-year-old has the ability to get his side up the pitch very quickly.  

Crosbie is a striker on loan from Torquay, who has previously been a loanee with Gloucester City, although it was at Mangotsfield where his talent blossomed and attracted the likes of the Gulls to him. Luke Pardoe is one of a number of players that Killick has a Poole association with and the striker who came through Bournemouth’s academy and spent four seasons at Poole. The talented marksman has been with the Magpies since the 2023/24 campaign. 

Dorchester’s midfield includes Jack Dickson, a top performer in this division. A player who was with Poole for over a decade, separated briefly by a stint at Weymouth. His senior playing days began when the Dolphins were playing higher up the non-league pyramid. A valuable asset at this level, Dickson has been a Magpie since the 2023/24 season. 

Attacking midfielder Tom Smith was a firm favourite at Bath City in National League South, having previously played in the EFL for Swindon Town and Cheltenham Town. He made over 200 appearances for the Romans and was with Taunton Town last term. The dangerous and creative Smith has also had a stint at Dagenham & Redbridge and is 27. 

Midfielder/forward Marcus Daws is another ex-Dolphin and was prior to that at Bournemouth. Daws is another to have signed for Dorchester in the 2023/24 campaign. Some time away the following season at Totton was short and he has been a permanent member of the Magpies squad since. 

A seasoned player in this division is schemer Corby Moore. The 32-year-old midfielder was part of Southampton’s Premier League squad in 2012/13 and also made a solitary appearance in the EFL for Forest Green in the 2015/16 season. He played 220 league games for Poole and initially those appearances were made a step higher in non-league circles. The inspirational Moore is another to have made the move in the 23/24 season. 

Exceeding well over 100 games for Weymouth earlier in his playing days, the cultured midfield playmaker Cameron Murray is another to have played for Poole. It was in the 2018/19 season when he began with the Dolphins. Last term he was a Gosport Borough player; this term he is a Magpie. 

28-year-old defensive midfielder Matt Buse has acquired lots of experience in non-league football. Having Torquay, Weymouth, Bath City, Truro, Wealdstone and Taunton on your CV, shows an impressive pedigree. Buse’s services were acquired last season. 

The vast knowledge and pedigree of Will Spetch is of huge value. He is sixteen seasons’ in from the beginning of his senior career in the 2011/12 campaign and 34-year-old Spetch was a mainstay of Poole’s backline for thirteen of those seasons. Quite a few of those were spent under Tom Killick and the two were reunited again during the 2023/24 campaign. 

28-year-old Gerard Benfield is Dorchester’s number one. A talented stopper at this level, Weymouth, Salisbury and Wimborne have all called on his services in the past. The in-demand keeper, permanently moved to the Avenue Stadium in the close season, after being on loan from Weymouth in the previous campaign. 

Wins are the order of the day, with ground lost on relegation rivals through disappointing results and inactivity. Nothing comes easy in this league, so the lads will need to improve, be at their best and maintain better standards if they are close the gap and make progress. So, let’s get behind Asa, Steve and the lads. 

#OneTownOneTeamOneTivvy 💛