Pitching In Southern League Premier Division South

Tuesday 14th March 2023

Dorchester Town 0  Beaconsfield Town 2

Avenue Stadium - Attendance 317

Ram of the Match – All of them. 

Beaconsfield Town made it three wins and a draw on the road since Neil Baker and Jon Underwood took over, with a mostly routine victory over Dorchester Town at the Avenue Stadium on Tuesday night.

Most pleasing for the management duo, as they prepare for the first home outing of their tenure, was a second consecutive clean sheet following the 3-0 win at Hartley Wintney on Saturday.

The Rams could and probably should have exceeded that scoreline here, against a spirited but somewhat limited Magpies team, who asked fewer questions than Hartley Wintney did and had ex-Ram Ryan Hall to thank for a number of fine saves which kept them and their hopes of getting something from the game alive until the closing moments.

The fact that the score remained so close for so long also owed much to The Ram's errant finishing as they conspired to spurn a succession of clear chances to give the score a more realistic appearance.

The Rams started quickly and took full advantage of the large playing surface to establish their free-flowing passing style. Pulling the hosts from side to side and creating space for Kyel Reid, Elliott Buchanan, and Nathan Minhas to exploit.

Minhas was unfortunate with his first effort. The striker reacted quickly as his original right foot effort from the edge of the box was blocked, and deflected back at him. He let fly with an instinctive left foot volley that beat Hall, who could only stand and watch as it flew past him. Only for the frame of the goal to come to his rescue as the shot rebounded to safety off his post.

Hall then made a smothering block as Minhas latched on to Elliott Buchanans’ low cross which broke to the striker on the edge of the six-yard box.

Kyel Reid shot narrowly over as the home defence receded before him and invited the shot. Dan Bradshaw fired in a low skidding drive which Hall plunged low to his right to claim.

Beaconsfield were in complete control as The Magpies struggled to retain any meaningful control of possession. Dan Bradshaw and Sam Granville were their usual tenacious presence and behind them shielding the back four Sam Togwell had one of his most effective outings as a Ram, stepping in to break up play, sensing and snuffing out danger and seizing every opportunity to launch The Rams forward.

The only real surprise of the first half was that it took half an hour for the visitors to open their account. The ball was worked out to the left where Toby Little was enjoying good possession and space he fed Nathan Minhas just outside the box who laid the ball back to Reid who slid a pass inside the full back, picking out Sam Granville who advanced into the and box drew Hall from his line, before rolling a low cross along the six yard line where it was gleefully rifled home by Elliott Buchanan as defenders struggled to cover.

Granville almost doubled the lead moments later but his skidding low shot was well saved by Hall.

Stung by the goal The Magpies hit back and finished the half the stronger. Growing in confidence and enjoying their best passage of first half play as the Rams sat off and protected their lead not always completely convincingly.

The home side forced several late set pieces but Kie Plumley in the Rams goal was not forced into serious action as the hosts delivery and final ball lacked the necessary quality. Most of The Magpies possession was in front of the defence and whils they enjoyed some success down the flanks The Rams shape was such that they were happy sacrifice the flanks and confident they could defend the cross which they did until the break. 

  

Half Time 0-1

 

Elliott Buchanan almost doubled. The Ram’s advantage on 50 minutes but Hall again saved Dorchester, making himself big and beating away the strikers angled drive from 12 yards.

That was Buchanan’s last involvement, having put in one of his most effective performances of the season, as he limped off with tightness in his groin. Lucas Sinclair replaced him and the addition of his pace gave The Magpies another problem to deal with.

With the half time break and introduction of Lyle Simpson they began to play their way back into the game and dominated possession and territory for long periods. Again though they creted little in terms of clear chances and it seemed that every time the Rams broke they created and spurned another opportunity. At one point the visitors seemed to be indulging in a ‘nearest the goal’ competition as , Minhas, Bradshaw and Sinclair all saw low efforts fizz inches wide. Minhas drew the save of the evening from Hall with a curling effort drom the edge of the box, similar to his goal on Saturday. On this occasion though Hall was equal to the challenge and flew to his right to turn the effort away.

As the half wore on Beaconsfield nerves on the field held whailt in the stands it started to become watching through your fingers time. Dorchester pressed with everything they had and The Rams were forced back, defending stoutly but struggling to get out. The hosts still only created one clear chance though as Jordan Foot capped a 30 yard run with a cross shot which Kie Plumley sprang to his right to turn away. From the subsequent corner The Rams keeper rose bravely in a crowd to punch the ball clear whilst being totalled by Keiran Douglass.

Beaconsfield then somehow managed to make a mess of a three-on-two break as Sam Granville delayed over the final pass and Nathan Minhas could not manage to stay onside.

When the roles were reversed as Rams fans were looking nervously at their watches, Minhas timed the pass perfectly, and Granville, who at times this year has seemed destined to find a new way not to score every week, smashed a low shot past Hall and sealed the points for the visitors.

Next up The Rams return to Holloways Park to welcome struggling Yate Town. Kick-off 3pm.   

   

Beaconsfield Town :

Kie Plumley, Callum Webb, Toby Little, Sam Togwell, Luke Neville, Lewis Pegg, Sam Granville, Dan Bradshaw [Sub Kai Allsopp 90], Nathan Minhas, Elliott Buchanan [Sub Lucas Sinclair 51], Kyel Reid

Subs Not Used - Ben Peters, Cairo Richards, Charlie Smith.

Dorchester Town

Ryan Hall, Jordan Foot, Tiago Sa, Alex Moyse, CallumBuckley©, Kieran Douglass, Charlie Gunson [Sub Lewis Toms 90], Jordan N’Galo, Alfie Stanley [Sub Lyle Simpson 46 Sub Keith Emmerson 70], Shaquille Gwengwe, Matthew Neale.

Subs Not Used; Louie Slough, Marcus Smith

Referee -   Sam Fudge            

Assistants - Lewis Ward, Robert Dabbs

Watch Bakes' post match interview Here 

All images ©Neale Blackburn 2023

Full game images - Here