BASINGSTOKE Town secured back-to-back wins for the first time since August with a comprehensive victory away at Conference South strugglers Dorchester Town on Saturday.

The visitors were in control from the third minute, when Shaun McAuley put them ahead. Manny Williams scored twice in the space of three minutes to leave Dorchester with a mountain to climb at half-time and substitute Neil Barrett completed the rout in the second half as Town moved up to eighth in the Conference South table.

Manager Jason Bristow made just one change to the side that had beaten Boreham Wood a week earlier, with Robbie Matthews coming in for Kezie Ibe in attack.

They got off to the perfect start as McAuley opened the scoring inside three minutes, firing home via a deflection after veteran centre-back Ashley Vickers had failed to deal with Andrew Jenkinson’s low ball into the area.

Matt Partridge had a chance to double the lead after Williams played him in but a Dorchester defender got back to make a crucial tackle, while the hosts then enjoyed their best spell of the half.

Brandon Goodship poked the ball wide from the edge of the six-yard box, while Mark Jermyn’s low shot smacked against the base of the post after the Dorchester skipper had played a neat one-two with Jake Rowley.

However, Town then regained the initiative. A clever free-kick saw Wes Daly put McAuley in the clear, the midfielder being denied by the legs of Alan Walker-Harris, while the same player then shot over following good play from Williams.

Basingstoke got the second goal their play deserved on 39 minutes, Williams slotting home from a narrow angle after Daly’s effort from a free-kick hit the wall, looped up and dropped kindly for the striker, who had lost his marker.

Two minutes later and the game was over as Williams picked up the ball just outside the Dorchester area, ran through a couple of weak challenges and curled an excellent shot into the top corner.

The hosts came out for the second half determined to get themselves back into the game and they had the ball in the net – only for the goal to be disallowed for a foul on Jay Gasson.

Dorchester were much-improved but Town were in control. Partridge fired an angled effort narrowly over, while McAuley tested Walker-Harris from an acute angle after beating two men with an excellent piece of skill and later forced the home ’keeper into a decent save with a shot from the edge of the area.

Town did add a fourth with 14 minutes remaining, hitting the hosts with a lightning-quick counter-attack. Matthews flicked the ball out for Simon Dunn, who beat a defender to the loose ball and got clear down the left. He found fellow substitute Neil Barrett with a low centre and the midfielder made no mistake, powering the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

The hosts continued to search for a goal but it became clear it was not to be their day when they failed to score with three good chances in the space of 10 seconds.

Goodship had the first effort, his shot from an acute angle hitting the post. The rebound fell to Neil Martin, but he dwelt on the ball, allowing Nathan Smart to make a good block, while Jamie Gleeson saw his effort kept out by Louis Wells.

However, Town ended the game looking for a fifth. Walker-Harris made a good save to deny Matthews from Dunn’s excellent cross, while Barrett saw a shot tipped onto the crossbar.

Basingstoke Town manager Jason Bristow said: “People might look at the result and say it was only Dorchester, who have got their problems, but it has been a pleasing week. We stopped the rot last week and today we built on that.

“The first goal settled us down and we should have been out of sight by half-time. We could have had more after the break as well.

“It’s nice to get a performance, four goals and another clean sheet. At times we looked composed and got into good areas.

“Shaun McAuley was outstanding at finding space, Manny Williams was a live wire up front and Robbie Matthews had a good game. It was a good all-round performance.”

Dorchester Town: Walker-Harris, Crittenden, Smeeton, Jermyn, Vickers, Brooks (sub Walker 31min), Wakefield, Gleeson, Goodship, Rowley (sub Munday 83min), Martin. Subs (not used): Twyford, Rolls, Beasley.

Basingstoke Town: Wells, Smart, Green, Partridge (sub Barrett 73min), Gasson, Ray, Daly, McAuley, Matthews, Williams (sub Ibe 83min), Jenkinson (sub Dunn 64min). Subs (not used): Campbell, Debattista.

Attendance: 435