Dorchester Away

What with Bath City plying their trade in the Conference South, you would imagine there would be plenty of games that involve minimal travel, however, due to the undue influence London exerts on the whole country, the increased population density of the South East, means that the Conference South is effectively a London and its suburbs league, with a few outposts.


Thankfully, Saturday meant a trip to Dorset and Dorchester Town, much closer than the usual away days (WsM aside) and easy to get to as there are direct trains from Bath to the Dorset’s county town. A reasonable timed train of 10:03 and the wonder of group 4 savers, and 8 stripes were on their way all for the price of £8.25 return, happy days.

A year after trying we finally made it in

We alighted at Dorchester at midday and headed to The Blue Raddle pub, having had disastrous attempts to find a decent pub last season (The Blue Raddle shuts on Mondays, regardless of them being Bank Holidays or not) the fact that one year later we made it in was a definite bonus. The pub is a beauty, 5 hand pumps on, and walls filled with sheep related items, including “Know you sheep” series, and an enjoyable few pre-match hours were whiled away in there. Briefly a section of the group went around the corner to a different pub, and quickly returned having annoyed the landlord by swearing (and declaring their hatred for rugby, after he’d declared his love).

Master Reed Esq. enjoying the surroundings

We arrived at The Avenue ground 5 minutes or so before kick off, and were treated to the pre-match entertainment of watching Kyle get pushed/pulled through Dorchester’s (admittedly narrow) turnstyles.

Sorry Kyle!

 Having stopped laughing at that, we moved around to the covered terrace at the Dorchester end of the ground. Having done so well last season (including beating Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup), largely due to Charlie Clough, Ben Watson and Kieffer Moore, Dorchester Town are having a nightmare this season. Despite being under community ownership, they have had to dramatically slash the playing budget this season, leading to the departure of many key players, Clough, Watson and Moore are at Sutton United, Truro and Yeovil respectively, meaning the magpies prop up the league.



An immaculately observed minutes silence was held as the Saturday was the closest to Remembrance Sunday, and it always surprises me how moving those fleeting moments of silence can be.


As seems to often be the case, the end we had chosen to stand at wasn’t the end City were to attack, so off we set around the ground, somehow managing to take 3 minutes to walk 100 yards, it was at this position nearing the corner flag that we saw David Pratt send a looping cross into the box, Dan Ball leapt like a salmon and connected with the ball and powered his header home. City were one up within 5 minutes.


Finally settled into our position behind the goal for the first half, the City faithful were in fine voice, and the lovely low roof of The Avenue amplified the sound the away following was making (an away following which almost outnumbered the home fans, so how they got to a farcical attendance figure of 516 I do not know) while on the pitch the Romans were in complete control.


City soon doubled their lead, a free kick from Stearn was put into the box and Dan Ball leapt highest again, with the same result. 2-0 City, all within 15 minutes. Noah Keats could have added to the score but his long range shot drifted slightly wide.


Dorchester started to get a slight foothold in the game and Simpson had to be alert to clear a chance off of the line, while Mellor was called into action a few times. Nevertheless, the threats were minimal and City were in complete control.


The half time whistle blew with City still two goals ahead. The boys from Somerset started brightly in the second half, and went in search of the third goal, the game changed massively though on 58 minutes, Ross Stearn broke with the ball at his feet, he had Watkins and Pratt as
options, but opted instead to take on all 41 years (41!) of Ashley Vickers. Vickers hacked Stearn down, and potentially was last man. There was a little tangle as they were on the floor, but both players got up and shook hands. The referee called Vickers over, and the centre half was lucky as he only received a caution, but then the linesman was talking to the referee and ridiculously, scandalously a red card was brandished for Stearn.


At the time we were aghast, how he could be fouled and sent off we didn’t understand. Apparently Stearn was sent off for double footing the player, this is a farce, but we are unlikely to appeal as at the lower levels nothing gets over turned.

The sending off changed the complexion of the game, and Dorchester proceeded to have much more possession, however, City dealt admirably with any threat posed, and the game really petered out as a contest.


The final whistle blew, with the score still 2-0 and the stripes had won 3 on the bounce and 2 away games on the trot. After the game I briefly popped to the toilet, on leaving said connivances I heard a shout, looking up I saw the City boys had found Dorchy the dolphin from last year (yes we’ve named him) the poor dolphin had lain neglected in the bushes for another year, but was now proudly held aloft by victorious stripes, Dorchy was paraded around a little, before being put back into the hedges, which included a brilliant moment of Paul Hill falling into the bush while pushing Dorchy simultaneously getting slapped by the dolphins tail while pushing the front, comedy gold.

Dorchy the dolphin is freed!

The stripes bid adieu to Kyle at Dorchester South, before boarding our own train at Dorchester West, a most enjoyable away day, that with Dorchester’s impending relegation sadly means will not happen next season, and potentially not for a while after.