FROME Town made it five league wins on the bounce with an impressive 3-1 victory over a Dorchester side who sought to frustrate their hosts. A well-taken brace from Jake Jackson bookended a goal of the highest quality from Jon Davies, as the confident Robins flew up another two positions in the league.
The game was preceded by a minute’s silence in tribute to Doris Baker who sadly passed away after having been a key part of the fabric of the club over the decades.
Frome started with the returning Jake Jackson partnering Ryan Bath up front, and playmaker Jon Davies was given a wide right midfield role.
The visitors, nicknamed The Magpies, wearing the kind of strip you might see worn by modern rugby players. And it wasn’t just the kit which bore resemblance to rugby, as Dorchester used plenty of physicality and aggression in their attempt to gain something from this game.
Early exchanges saw Joe Raynes not afraid to get stuck in and it was on 12 minutes that Frome took a stranglehold on the match. Jackson outpaced the Dorchester defender and rounded the keeper. This left him with an acute angle, but his finish was immaculate as he powered the ball into the roof of the net. 1-0.
Frome looked confident with the ball. Kris Miller showed tireless endeavour up and down the flank from right back. He and Davies combined magnificently throughout the match. However, Frome manager Josh Jeffries was becoming increasingly perplexed with the amount of decisions he felt were going against his side. Despite Frome having the lion’s share of things in the first half, Dorchester did have their moments and a Dorchester equaliser did come with 6 minutes to go until the break.
Frome cleared a corner to the edge of the area where Mohammad Baghdadi was lurking. His shot seemed to deflect off a player in the box, leaving Phillips wrong footed.
As the players went off for half time a scuffle broke out between opposition players. Everyone seemed to dash in but the handbags were put away and they made it to their respective changing rooms. The half time score was 1-1.
The first half had been jam-packed full of action but it was the second that was decisive half. Playing towards the club house, Frome came out in the same confident fashion and put together a particularly scintillating one-touch move. It was sadly thwarted before an end product, as was the case for all their attacks in the first half hour of the second half.
Miller and Davies posed such an attacking threat and the more they attacked, the more Dorchester tried to use every trick in the book to stop them. Their number 12, with the instruction to get Davies into a scuffle, came on barely ten minutes after the restart. To Davies’ and the rest of the team’s credit, they managed to rise above this for the most part, keeping their heads well, given the circumstances. Even Miller, who is not known to shy away from a confrontation went until the 86th minute before receiving his yellow card. Though at that point he was taken straight off, manager Josh Jeffries not wanting to risk suspension.
Dorchester had fewer chances in the second half but still managed to squeeze a shot in to the bottom right hand corner. Frome again had the agility of Phillips to thank for not going 2-1 behind.
With 20 minutes left on the clock Dorchester had already begun time wasting. Ultimately it would be their own time they had wasted though as a moment of magic brought about justice and restored Frome’s advantage on 79 minutes. A Teale ball forward bounced up in front of Davies on the edge of the box, who composed himself brilliantly before smashing the ball past the keeper and in to the back of the net. 2-1.
The celebrations were pretty wild as the players and fans all knew that the goal had averted what could have been a very frustrating draw. That said, shortly after the goal, Dorchester did manage to carve out an opportunity, but the shot flew safely over the bar; The Magpies’ player unable to replicate the composure shown at the other end by Frome’s super-Robin.
The win was sealed moments later when Jackson took down a lofted ball forward from Raynes and neatly finished to make it 3-1.
You couldn’t argue with the Man of the Match decision for Jon Davies, but special mention must also go to Jake Jackson for his two clinical finishes and Kris Miller for a fantastic performance. In fact, there was not a single player in red who didn’t have an above average game. Even the ever-dependable Hemmings got out of his comfort zone with a mazy run towards the end!
This was a very entertaining game from start to finish and one which manager Jeffries can be very proud to see his maturing side come out as deserved winners. They did so against a physical team in circumstances which may have seen them lose their heads on another day. The ability to hold their nerve and remain patient was perhaps the most impressive part of a very good performance.
Jon Davies was awarded the H&B Tyres Man of the Match Award by match sponsors Raves from the Grave, another outstanding performance.
Match report by Sam Attard.
