POPPIES' season is still very much in its infancy but already they have achieved mega-heights as they dispatched Dr Martens League Dorchester Town out of the FA Cup at Victoria Park.

They could even afford to miss a penalty, which suggests it was a comfortable victory. But it was far from that.

With 25 minutes gone, the Magpies were in total control of the match and it seemed that it was merely a matter of when - not if - they were going to take the lead.

Matt Lonnen fired narrowly wide from 30 yards before Justin Keeler volleyed inches over the Poppies crossbar.

Matt Groves, Simon Radcliffe and Marcus Oldbury all went close to putting the visitors in front, but a combination of narrow misses and some solid defending kept the home side in the game.

In the 27th minute, Keith Williams and Shaun Brooks' side produced their first threat on the Dorchester goal and immediately taught their more illustrious opponents the art of finishing.

Paul Honeybun cut inside a defender on the left wing and then unleashed an unstoppable right-foot belter from 25 yards.

Mark Ormerod got one hand to the ball, but such was the ferocity of the strike, it wasn't enough to prevent the ball from nestling in the bottom corner of the net.

Very often a goal can give a side the confidence it needs to begin playing the kind of football that Poppies have been displaying so far this season.

And it was certainly the case in this match, as moments later Danny Holmes lofted a free kick into the danger zone, only to see Dave Smith's downward header brilliantly turned round the post by Ormerod.

Honeybun almost repeated his terrific goal with another blistering effort from the edge of the box, but the post prevented a second strike at that stage.

For all the visitor's territorial supremacy, it was the Wessex League outfit who had by far the clearer cut chances on goal. And after just four minutes into the second period, Poppies doubled their advantage.

Gary Clark outjumped Ormerod, and as the ball fell to the ground, Clark had the simple job of tapping home from two yards.

At the other end, Poppies goalkeeper Barry Squires produced an extremely solid performance and made a great save to deny Dorchester player-manager Mark Morris' close range effort.

The tie should have been settled moments later when Lucas was adjudged to have been brought down inside the box by Ormerod, But Clark's poor penalty kick was saved by the Dorchester keeper.

Still with 26 minutes left on the clock, Mark Jermyn hoofed a long ball into the Poppies 18-yard box for Groves to shrug off the attention of three defenders and then fire home from close range to give the visitors hope.

The tie was now delicately balanced and some resolute defending kept the Magpies from producing the equaliser. Lucas ensured there would be no replay, though, when he restored Poppies' two-goal cushion with a downward far post header that bounced over Ormerod and fell nicely into the opposite end of the goal.

Bournemouth Poppies: Squires, Narcisco, Smith (White, 90), J Edwards, West, Woods, I Edwards, Holmes, Clark (Alsopp, 69), Honeybun, Lucas (Till, 69).

Dorchester Town: Ormerod, Jermyn, Radcliffe (Cherrett, 45), Lonnen, Harris, White, Sullivan (Toms, 86), Oldbury (Morris, 45), Groves, Andrews, Keeler.