Match Report
Dorchester Town 2 Yate Town 0
Parker (45+1 pen and 54)
Southern League Premier Division South
Saturday 20th September 2025
Yate Town continued their poor away form with another defeat, in a game that saw a highly controversial penalty put the hosts in front, but a poor second half performance contributed to the Bluebells returning home empty handed.
Having had a 10-day break since their win at home to Tiverton Town, Yate Town manager, Darren Mullings, introduced new signing Omar Taylor-Clarke in midfield.
Dorchester started on the front foot and Yate Town goalkeeper, Aaron Sainsbury, had to deal with a header from Wayne Robinson straight at him and then was extended to make a save from another header, this time from Ollie Haste.
James Taylor strides towards the Dorchester penalty area.
However, in windy conditions on the 3G pitch, Yate Town started to take control of the game and missed a golden opportunity when a cross from Charlie White, into a perfect position, was missed by Marlon Jackson, but no one was following up at the back post, as the ball drifted across the 6 yard box.
Marlon Jackson can’t convert this cross from Charlie White.
Lloyd James’ shot from the edge of the area was just over the bar and Corey Evans’ effort was just off target too.
Dorchester goalkeeper, Besant, catches the ball as Yate Town press in the first half.
A Will Spetch header forced Sainsbury into action again and he also gathered a curling shot from Joe Parker. With the game in first half stoppage time, a cross from the right, in a late Dorchester attack, was half cleared and as James Taylor completed the job the referee adjudged that Taylor had fouled Marcus Daws. Joe Parker dispatched the penalty in the dying moments of the first half to put Dorchester in front.
The second half stared with Aaron Sainsbury saving well from Parker as he pushed the Dorchester player’s effort round the post whilst Dayle Grubb was just off target with a free kick on the edge of the Dorchester penalty area. Yate Town defender Will Larvin was replaced by Dan Dempsey and shortly afterwards a long ball from Harvey Wright found Joe Parker whose low drive beat Sainsbury to double Dorchester’s lead.
Rex Mannings shot just wide and as Yate made a number of substitutions it was only a Dan Dempsey effort that went close to reducing the areas as the hosts shut up shop, aware that twice this season they had let three goals leads slip from winning positions. Despite Marlon Jackson working tirelessly Yate Town struggled to make much of an impact in the second half.
Late pressure by Yate Town can’t unlock the Dorchester defence.
The Bluebells are finding out what a tough league is it that they are playing in this season, following their promotion at the end of last season, and need to start picking up some points away from home to complement their home form, which has seen them unbeaten in the league so far this season.
The Bluebells now travel Basingstoke Town on Tuesday evening before hosting Plymouth Parkway at the South West Interiors Stadium next Saturday, in a re-arranged fixture.
Dorchester Town: Besant, Wright, Spetch, Haste, Buse, Fogden, Moore, Daws (Crosbie 85), Smith (Murray 78), Parker (Hutchinson 74) Robinson (Whitfield 90+4)
Unused sub: Dickinson
Bookings: Fogden (50)
Yate Town: Sainsbury, Taylor, Larvin (Dempsey 52), Britton, White (Karadogan 82), James, Evans (Tomlinson 66), Grubb (Zebroski 66), Taylor-Clarke, Jackson, Mannings
Unused sub: Felix
Bookings: Britton (19)
Attendance: 489
Photographs by Bob Chester and Jack Palmer.