Match Report
Yate Town 0 Dorchester Town 1
Parker 64
Southern League Premier Division South
Saturday 7th February 2026
Dorchester Town, with interim manager, Wes Fogden, in charge of his first game, belied their lowly league position to gain three valuable points, in their fight against relegation, and the double over Yate Town.
Following their impressive 6-2 win against Hungerford Town in mid-week, Yate Town manager, Darren Mullings, was forced into a change in defence with Lewis Hall taking the place of Bristol City loanee, Jack Hooper, and started with Marlon Jackson and Lloyd James, with Chris Zebroski and Jake Hicks, moving to the bench.
With the Yate Town ground staff working wonders to get the game on after all the wet weather, an early effort from Corby Moore for the visitors and Charlie Moody for Yate Town, then saw Harvey Wright send in a thunderous shot from 20 yards, following a corner, that flew into the arms of Yate Town goalkeeper Aaron Sainsbury.
Charlie Moody in a heading duel with a Dorchester defender.
A couple of timely interventions from Rex Mannings and Dan Ball denied Dorchester opportunities and James Taylor threatened a couple of times for Yate. A quick goal kick from Aaron Sainsbury released James Ollis but his effort was eventually blocked. After 39 minutes, following the Yate defence losing possession, Dorchester were eventually awarded a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area and the shot from Joe Parker went narrowly wide. Yate Town were forced into a substitution with half-time approaching; Marlon Jackson had to go off injured and was replaced by Chris Zebroski.
James Ollis shoots for goal in the first half.
The opening period of the second half saw Yate dominate and win a succession of corners but Gerard Benfield, in the Dorchester goal, was only tested once, when he saved a shot from James Taylor. However, on the hour mark, Henry Wright had a header on target following a corner and in the 64th minute, following a defensive lapse by Yate, saw Joe Parker snap up the loose ball to calmly chip the ball into the net passed Aaron Sainsbury.
Dorchester then denied Yate any openings apart from a couple of headers, from James Ollis and Oli Jenkins, which both missed the target, and substitute Corey Evans saw his effort turned away for a corner.
James Taylor about to take on a Dorchester defender late in the game.
Dorchester saw the game out comfortably and are now only four points from safety, after recording their sixth league win of the season, with Yate Town now in 15th place in the table, eight points above Dorchester.
The Bluebells take on second placed Poole Town at the South West Interiors Stadium on Tuesday evening, 10th February, before travelling to Bracknell Town next Saturday.
Yate Town: Sainsbury, Taylor, Larvin, Ball, Hall (Jenkins 78), Monks, James (Evans 63), Moody (Hicks 63), Jackson (Zebroski 44), Ollis, Mannings (Tomlinson 86).
Unused subs: None
Bookings: James (24) Monks (35), Larvin (39)
Dorchester Town: Benfield, Mcintosh, Williams, Wright, Moore, Parker (Wooding 89), Crosbie, Roberts (Dickson 73), Daws (Underhill 80), Hodson, Pardoe
Unused Subs: Spetch, Murray
Bookings: Parker (21), Willaims (90+2), Moore (90+5)
Attendance: 496
Referee: Nathanael Wormleighton
Photographs by Jack Palmer
Yate Town Player of the Match: Dan Ball chosen by match sponsors Trashman Clearance.
