SALISBURY’S indifferent start to the league season continued with mixed results over the bank holiday weekend.

On Saturday, the Whites travelled to Dorchester and recorded a 1-0 - their second on the bounce - before hosting Wimborne at the Ray Mac on Monday, and losing 2-0.

The win against Dorchester was sealed with a last-minute strike from former Avenue Stadium favourite, Tom Blair, which condemned the Magpies to a third defeat from their opening four league fixtures.

The match was well contested but lacked cutting edge with the two sides largely cancelling each other out.

Salisbury Journal: Salisbury in action against Wimborne. Picture by John Rose.Salisbury in action against Wimborne. Picture by John Rose.

A goalless draw looked a likely and overall fair result until the Dorchester defence failed to deal with a 90th-minute Charlie Davis left-wing free-kick and Blair was afforded the time and space to pounce and drill a low shot into the bottom left corner.

Four minutes of added time failed to produce a Magpies equaliser with Sam Bayston and Ashley Wells unable to apply the finishing touch to an inviting ball into the six-yard box by Sam Davidson and substitute George Calverley rolling a last-ditch effort wide.

Christos Papakonstantinou made his competitive home debut in a subdued first half although the Greek forward nearly fired the Magpies into a 41st-minute lead when he dispossessed Oliver Knowles before charging forward then unleashing a firm drive which cannoned back so swiftly from the foot of the post that Billy Lowes was unable to convert the rebound - hoisting the ball high over the crossbar from eight yards.

Sam Ashton also had a good chance for Salisbury as half-time approached but having jinked his way past the Dorchester defence he could only curl the ball over from 20 yards.

The last five minutes of the first half contained quality and excitement that the supporters of both sides in the local derby crowd of 696 had not treated to for the first low key 40 minutes.

In the second half, it was end-to-end stuff but the key moment arrived with stoppage-time looming when Papakonstantinou conceded a free-kick on the left touchline which Davis delivered and while the Magpies’ defence dithered, Blair fired home to send Magpies’ fans home in despair.

The Whites then put in what its own Twitter account described as a “miserable performance” against Wimborne, losing 2-0.

Having lost all their previous encounters in the Southern League at the Ray Mac Stadium, a first clean sheet and a goal in each half by Lewis Beale gave The Magpies their first three points of the season.

Before the clock had reached the half-hour mark, The Whites had made two substitutions – right wing-back Davis, and central defender Roberts both limping out of the game.

Salisbury Journal: Sam Roberts. Picture by John RoseSam Roberts. Picture by John Rose

Salisbury return to action on Saturday afternoon when they host Tiverton Town at the Ray Mac in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup.