The season finally started for the Missioners at the Avenue Stadium this afternoon as two strikes from substitute Josh Scott (right) not only saw Hayes pick up their first win of the season but it was also the first clean sheet in a league game since November 2005, some 35 games.

Manager Kevin Hill made a two changes to his starting line-up, balancing out the midfield with wide man Liam Feeney coming in for Joe Sparrowhawk who dropped to the bench as did Jon Dyer who was replaced by Michael Bartley. In fact his plans were upset almost immediately as young Ryan Tackley had to be replaced after just four minutes through illness, his place being taken by Josh Scott which saw Feeney move to right-back.

The home side started the game well with new signing and former Hayes loanee David Town testing Kevin Davies as early as the third minute, forcing the keeper to push his shot on the run around the post. Having rearranged the side with Tackleys departure, the Missioners started to progress up the field, Kieran Knight had a shot that Simon Evans in the home goal dealt with comfortably before a long Davies clearance found its way to Shaun McAuley who again saw Evans hold the shot.

Sixteen minutes had passed when a Knight free-kick was fumbled by the diving Evans only for home skipper Alex Browne to take the ball off the toe of Michael Bartley as he was about to net, even though a goal kick was awarded by referee Mr Hamilton! Play swung immediately to the other end where Ryan Ashe was twice on hand to throw himself in the way of shots that deflected wide of the target, one from Town and one from Michael Taylor. The latter resulted in a corner kick that Matt Groves headed goalwards with Davies safely gathering at his post.

We were still a little under the cosh and should have gone behind on 25 minutes, Ryan Hill floated over a deep cross from the right flank which found Giovanni Torre, on loan from Portsmouth, totally alone with a vacant net in front of him, somehow he managed to head across the empty net and wide of the far post. Just a minute later the same combination again saw the striker plant his header wide of Davies goal.

Then as play changed direction it was the Missioners who were unlucky not to go ahead, Bartley and Knight combined to set McAuley on his way towards goal, the midfielders shot being turned around the post by Evans. Within a minute McAuley went even closer, a chipped pass beyond the last defender by Sean Ridgway saw McAuley chest the ball down before rifling a shot that smacked the top of the post and went wide.

The home side had another chance as a Hill header found its way through a crowd but Davies gathered before the Missioners pushed forwards again looking for the opener. Ridgway and Knight combined with the latter finding Ashe with a cheeky back heel but Ashe's shot was caught by Evans at full stretch. Skipper Orlando Jeffrey threw himself in the path of a Town piledriver before we finally got the break we have waited ten games for, Gilbert Nuako fed the ball down the left to Josh Scott, his attempted cross took a deflection as he hit it which saw the ball loop over Evans, hit the far post, and nestle in the back of the net.

The second half was to be a feast of chances with a single Hayes goal as was the first. Davies easily handled an early 20 yarder from Town before a Feeney free-kick was flicked on by Knight to Adam Logie who was lurking at the far post, sadly for him Evans was quickly off his line to smother the ball at the defenders feet.

Mark Jermyn was next to try for Dorchester after good work by the impressive Liam Green but his effort was poor and well off target. Just before the hour mark Scott made a surging run up the middle and having reached the area slipped the ball neatly to Ridgway who in an effort to lift the ball over the sliding defender Scott Morgan saw his effort strike a raised arm that drew a flag from the referees assistant and a penalty was duly awarded. Josh stepped up and cracked the ball into the roof of the net to wipe out the memories of his orbiter from the county cup final last year (sorry Josh!).

Just sixty seconds later it could have been "game on" again but for a superb save by Davies who was today looking back to his best. A perfect cross by Groves found Town six yards from goal and despite making a firm connection, Davies managed to keep the effort out with Nuako poking the loose ball away for a corner. That corner found Taylor unmarked but he headed wide of the post.

Torre had another header that failed to trouble Davies before the combination of Ashe and Scott set a chance for Bartley who was denied by Evans. Bartley and Knight were both off target when well placed before McAuley chased a lost cause down the flank, beat the defender on the touchline before planting a cross perfectly into Scotts run but the strikers volley was too high and he was denied a hat-trick.

Chances still came for the Missioners, McAuley shot wide while Evans did well to handle a firm drive from recently arrived substitute Daniel Dyer. Davies at the other end was on hand to again pull off an excellent save just eight minutes from time as he rose at full extent to tip an angled Groves drive over the bar.

We were also to suffer a couple of late scares as we battled to keep that clean sheet that had eluded us for so long, Groves saw a shot well saved by Davies at his near post with the stopper throwing himself in the way of Town's follow up to keep that out as well. As the game entered stoppage time Davies was beaten twice in just a few seconds, but the clean sheet remained intact. Firstly a Groves strike from 18 yards cannoned back of the post to substitute Justin Keeler, his effort again beating the keeper before going wide off the same post.

Report by Kevin Watts. Photos by Ray Peploe.