1 week Ago
With Havant beating Wimborne 2-0 and Dorchester locked at 1-1 following Curtis Angell’s opener and Olaf Koszela’s penalty, the Magpies seemed destined for sixth spot. However, Will Spetch had other ideas and rose highest from a 95th-minute corner to bully a header home at the back post, sparking wild celebrations in the huge travelling support. In chaotic and unsavoury scenes during the aftermath, a pitch invasion, flares plus an intervention from the stewards and Hungerford bench ensued, while Killick saw red for allegedly failing to control his bench.
Hungerford had won the tactical battle in the first half and looked set to keep Dorchester at bay in the second, despite having Max Ram sent off for two cautions. Subsequently asked if he had feared the worst, Killick told Echosport : “Yes. I just felt it was one where we were going to come up agonisingly short.
“Without being disrespectful to Wimborne, because their season was over, I wasn’t overly hopeful they were going to get something. “We knew it was very likely we’d have to win. Time was ticking away and you start thinking it’s not going to be.
“If we’d come here and been flat or not had a real go, just gone out with a whimper, you’ve got all summer to think about that. “The players were pushing and pushing. As gutting as it would’ve been had we not got that winner, the players showed a really good mentality.
“It was amazing to get the goal. Obviously you don’t want to see the scenes at the end with the crowd on the pitch, but they’ve come in good numbers and come away very happy.” On hero Spetch, who has played under Killick for a large share of his career at Poole and now Dorchester, he added: “Will is our talisman in a lot of aspects.
“He’s just someone everyone looks up to, an unbelievable personality. “As a manager, I’ve been privileged to have him in my team for so many years and I feel privileged to have him in my team now.” Addressing his red card in a crazy finale, in which both benches entered the field of play, Killick said: “I’ve been sent off for failing to control my dugout.
“The other dugout are all on the pitch as well but don’t get the same punishment. “I was pretty much the only person that didn’t come out of the dugout – mainly because I can’t move these days! “I just stayed where I was and low and behold I get a red card. The referee didn’t have the best afternoon.
” On Dorchester’s support, who out-sang the home faithful throughout in a total gate of 813, Killick added: “It’s just amazing how the momentum is building in terms of the support and how good they are. “For them to come in numbers, two coaches, cars coming and the vocal element – it’s like a home game. “If we can try and bring as many at Totton, that’s going to be important.
” Dorchester have won, lost and drawn against second-placed Totton this season, their defeat coming in the FA Trophy, but Killick is relishing the one-off tie against the big-spending Stags. “It’s who has the best mentality and can make good decisions in a game like that,” he said. “Everyone’s going to be unbelievably motivated, it’s the old story of making good decisions in a pressured situation.
“That’s what we’ve got to have a focus on, have a calmness and intelligence about us.” Killick also confirmed striker Brett Pitman will serve a three-game suspension for his red card at Frome and is therefore out for the remainder of the season..
