Venue: The Avenue
Thurs 24th July 2003, 7.45pm kick-off.

Conditions:
Ground:

Scorers: Matt Groves (5 mins, 1-0), Andy Harris (34 mins, 2-0), Andy Lindegaard (48 mins, 2-1), Kirk Jackson (60 mins, 2-2), Abdelhalim El Kholti (78 mins, 2-3), Kirk Jackson (80 mins, 2-4), Andy Lindegaard (85 mins, 2-5).

Attendance: 755

Referee:

Bookings:
Yeovil: None
Dorchester: None

Line up : (4-4-2)

James Bittner,
Mark Boyce, David Artell, Alex Jeannin, Stephen Reed,
Paul Shepherd, Andy Lindegaard (capt), Andy Taylor, Jose Sebastiao,
Adam Stansfield, Jake Edwards.

Subs: Abdelhalim El Kholti (62 mins, for Jake Edwards), Danny Barker (77 mins, for James Bittner), Jamie Gosling (46 mins, for Paul Shepherd), Ian Patchett (77 mins, for Andy Taylor), Kirk Jackson (40 mins, for Adam Stansfield).

Dorchester: 1. Mark Ormerod 2. Mark Jermyn 3. Michael Walker 4. Mark Rawlinson 5. Alex Browne 6. Andy Harris 7. Matt Hann 8. Matty Holmes 9. Martin Shepherd 10. Matt Groves 11. Justin Keeler

Subs: Stuart Brown Simon Radcliffe Stuart Cooper Rob Murray Jamie Brown Gareth Barfoot (all used).

This report courtesy of Blue Stew:

Donning thy flat cap, I swung my satchel over my back packed with my flask and butties in and kissed the wife goodbye, as I set off down A37 across county border t' Avenue Stadium, a ground that reminds me so much of my youth. It was if I was going back in time t' watch Curzon Ashton, Droylsden or even Newton Heath, but I wasn't. I was off t' watch the newest members of the Football League against their nearest rivals Dorchester Town. Arriving early we decided to visit the club bar, where I hoped t' sup a pint of Dark Mild or Stout, but alas had t' be content with John Smiths.

As kick-off drew close we left the bar and proceeded to the turnstiles, which was one of the highlights of the evening, watching JJ try and squeeze through them and in t' ground. With Yeovil kicking towards the roofed terrace we congregated there. It wasn't long before t' man on tannoy announced that we had signed Portuguese defender Hugo Rodrigues, and he was presented to the faithful following, and said a few words.

As the team lined up it was obvious to all that Gary was using this as the shop window for all our fringe and trialists to shine, with a 4-4-2 formation. The game began, though it wasn't long before we all realised that everyone was trying t' shine themselves, rather than playing as a team and gelling together. The game was fast and furious, and it came as a bit of a shock when the home team took an early lead. Not for the first time this season a corner was swung in from the right, keeper Bittner was no where, and somehow the ball rebounded of the back post to Matt Groves who poked it in t' net. On 16 minutes there was good work by Sebastiao on the left, where he delivered a perfectly executed cross, Edwards headed on, but Jeannin just could not reach and the ball went agonisingly by the right hand post. Andy Taylor playing in the middle of the park showed some fancy footwork to put Stansfield through one-on-one with the keeper, but he shot straight at him. A few minutes later there was good work by Stansfield again, but this time down the right, and he put in a cross to the near post - but the highly impressive Alex Brown at full stretch headed out for a corner. From the corner Boyce found the ball at his feet, and produced a perfectly weighted cross. Edwards got there first but once again the ball went wide with the keeper at full stretch.

The visitors were now getting on top, though they were finding it hard to break down the Dorchester back four, who would have been more at home on the doors of the local night clubs. On 34 minutes a crunching tackle on Stansfield left him crumpled on the ground. We all waited with bated breath as he received treatment. He slowly got back to his feet, though it was obvious that he was struggling. On 36 minutes Sebastiao nutmegged Brown on the left hand side, but as he tried to go round the defender he was dragged to the ground. The free kick was taken quickly, but was cleared by the Dorchester defence for a corner. From the resulting corner Dorchester quickly broke down the left, and Boyce conceded a foul. As the ball was swept into the box from the resulting free kick, the Yeovil defence was at sixes and sevens, and Andy Harris was on hand to divert the header past the helpless Bittner. It was reminiscent of Kevin Gall's first goal against Preston just 48 hours earlier. On 40 minutes the unlucky Stansfield was withdrawn and replaced by Jackson, who soon started to work well with Edwards. As the half time whistle blew the players trudged off the pitch, with Dorchester leading 2-0 and worthy of that advantage. Trouble at mill in t' dressing room. As I headed for the snack bar for my cup of oxo and a tato pie, my thoughts were that the jury was out on each of the trialists.

Reminiscent of the ICIS days both sets of supporters swapped ends. I was in two minds; should I stay where I was and bait the hordes of Yeovil fans with "You dirty Northern B*****s", as they do to all visitors that come to Huish Park, or should I follow the rest of the sheep to the uncovered end of the stadium?

Half-Time: Dorchester Town 2 Yeovil Town 0

Unsure what was in the half time drinks (bet it was oxo), but the Yeovil that came out, seemed to appear to be a completely different team. On 46 minutes Jamie Gosling replaced the ineffectual Shepherd, and moved into the middle of the park, which enabled Lindegaard to move out to the more favoured right. Edwards picked up the ball on the left and began to run at the defence, who dragged him down in full stride. A quickly taken free kick seemed to have gone wrong when it looked like it was heading straight to the Dorchester keeper, but from nowhere Lindegaard arrived like a whippet. Pushing the ball wide towards the bye line he somehow managed to turn on a sixpence and from the narrowest of angles put the ball into the back of the net. The impetus was now with Yeovil who were playing some fast flowing football, with the home keeper making some good saves from both Sebastiao and Edwards. The link play from back to front was becoming a pleasure to watch, and young Steven Reed was coming more and more into the game as the team grew with confidence.

On 60 minutes the hard working Taylor released Lindy down the right, who put in a hard low cross to the front post where Jackson met it superbly with the side of the foot on the volley. Before the keeper had time to react it was in the roof of the net and Yeovil were level.

On 62 minutes El Kholti replaced Edwards up front alongside Jackson. The interplay between the midfield and the forwards was a pleasure to the eyes, and the Dorchester defence were struggling to cope with the fast flowing football. On 78 minutes a great run by El Kholti resulted in a little shimmy past the keeper that left him on his backside, and Abdul coolly placed it into an empty net. Two minutes later and a ball into the Dorchester box caused chaos, as the young keeper came out for the ball. Brown headed away without looking, and the ball came to Jackson who headed it straight back into the empty net. |It was like watching pin ball. Yeovil continued to play some fancy football, with Dorchester only respite being long kicks up fields from their defence. Time and time Yeovil came back at them. On 85 minutes a ball into the box from Patchet found Jackson who coolly laid it off to Lindegaard who was in acres of space. With time to look around, (and probably have a cup of oxo), he confidently scissor kicked the ball over the keeper into the top right hand corner.

As the black clouds blew over the referee put both Dorchester and their fans out of their misery and blew the final whistle. On reflection it was a game of two halves: the first we were disjointed, with each player trying to impress rather than playing as a team; the second was an excellent exhibition of fast flowing football.

The match was obviously used by Gary to look at all those players who were trying to gain a contract from the club. Without going into individuals, some are certainly no better than what we already have, and the players who are currently on contracts played well especially in the second half. Reed has a great future. Gosling has a good football brain and will become a favourite of the supporters. Lindegaard reconfirmed that he can play out wide. And both El Kholti and Jackson gained some much needed confidence.

After all the ups and downs of the last 3 weeks, and with only two weeks before the big kick-off everything in the garden looks rosy, and let's all hope that as we head off to watch our first ever League game oop North in my homeland the lads do us proud and continue to play this attractive entertaining football.

Blue Stew

This further report comes from Tim Lancaster:

LINDEGAARD SHINES AS TOBACCO MANS NIGHT GOES UP IN SMOKE

Dorchester Town 2 Yeovil Town 5

BAT goalkeeper Gareth Barfoot endured a torturous evening against Yeovil Town at the Avenue stadium conceding five second-half goals in the space of thirty seven minutes following his second-half introduction. The goalkeeper on trial from The Southampton based Wessex League outfit (British Allied Tobaccos) stood no chance as Yeovil tore into 'The Magpies' to put behind them a lacklustre first-half display.

Dorchester, playing up the slope in the first-half took a fifth minute lead when Matt Groves crashed in a header from a Matty Holmes corner, the ball coming down off the crossbar before Groves scored with his second touch. Yeovil were somewhat disjointed with so many new faces in the side, although Adam Stansfield got free to test 'Magpies' custodian Mark Ormerod with a fiece drive midway through the half that was well saved. Former Wrexham and Telford United Striker Jake Edwards then just failed with a looping header. Jose Sabastiao shone in the first period with some close control and mazy runs, but too often the moves ended with disapointment. The home side - who had crashed 3-0 to Combined Counties outfit AFC Winbledon at the weekend moved further ahead after thirty four minutes when ex-Bridport player Andy Harris got to the ball before visiting goalkeeper James Bittner to head into the far corner of the net.

The second-half saw Yeovil tear into their opponents who visibly lost confidence following Andy Lindegaard's initial goal. Lindegaard won the ball on the touchline and found the net from an acute angle in the forty-eighth minute. The equaliser on the hour mark- although not as spectacular as Kevin Galls against Brentford - could already run as a contender for 'Pre-Season' goal of the season as Lindegaard's pace saw him leave his marker in his wake before crossing for Kirk Jackson to whip a volley into the top of the net from six yards. Eighteen minutes later Yeovil were ahead as substitute Abdelhalim El-Kholti took the ball in his stride before eliminating the oncoming goalkeeper to place a low shot into the net from just inside the penalty box.

Jackson netted his second goal in the eightieth minute to give Yeovil a 4-2 lead when he headed over a stranded Barfoot following a tussle for the ball before Lindegaard clipped the ball home into the top of the net with five minutes remaining to delight the 400 travelling supporters in an Avenue Stadium crowd of 755.

Tim Lancaster

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