With rumours rife this week that the Terras’ boss was to be replaced by Garry Hill, who was in attendance at the Wessex Stadium, Hutchinson received the backing of the 2,392 crowd as Pierre Joseph-Dubois and Scott Bennett netted the all-important goals.

That victory moved Weymouth to within five points of safety while Dorchester remained five clear of the drop zone, with both sides set to scrap for survival over the coming weeks and months.

Hutchinson stuck with the same starting 11 that had ground out a 0-0 draw at the Magpies on Boxing Day while the only change Ashley Vickers opted to make from Dorchester’s 3-0 loss at Newport County on Monday was to reinstate Ian Selley in place of Jules Emati-Emati.

Ryan Harrison had to field a 20-yard Mark Jermyn effort low down to his left in just the third minute of the match while Joseph-Dubois was denied by the linesman’s flag and an onrushing Regan Coward at the other end as both sides felt each other out.

Ryan Hill made the first derby day tackle two minutes later, crunching into Simon Radcliffe in the Magpies’ right back position.

Weymouth used that free kick to press on and from a corner during that spell of Terras dominance they nearly took the lead.

Scott Brice picked the ball up and slid it into the feet of Joseph-Dubois, who was denied his first goal since returning to the Wessex Stadium by Coward’s reflex save down to his left to block it on the post and push it behind for another set piece.

Coward was surprisingly beaten in the air by Josh Llewellyn from Jamie McGuinness’ right-wing cross as the home team continued to be the more attacking side but the Terras’ forward could only head over the bar and into the Dorchester fans behind the goal in the Hollybush Stand.

Joseph-Dubois’ pace saw him skip away from Vickers on the halfway line on a Weymouth break but Dagenham-bound Phil Walsh cut him off with an excellent covering tackle, although the Weymouth front man really should have squared to partner Llewellyn.

Dorchester’s only reply was a Steve Devlin twist and shot from the edge of the area that flew over the bar just beyond the midway point of the half.

Back at the other end, Stephen Reed went the long-range route in an attempt to break the deadlock but could only find Coward’s gloves with a rising drive.

Brice needed to make a superb block to deny Mark Jermyn after Bennett failed to clear but Reed picked the loose ball up and sent Joseph-Dubois clear, only for the striker to drive well wide.

However, the pacey forward got his goal and the deserved opener for Weymouth when McGuinness was teed up by Llewellyn for a right-wing cross that Walsh missed, allowing Joseph-Dubois to get the vital touch that put the ball beyond Coward and into the bottom left-hand corner.

Vickers clearly was not happy with his side’s display and withdrew himself after suffering a hamstring injury, to be replaced by Gary Bowles just two minutes after the Terras’ goal, and then brought on striker Matt Groves at the break in place of left-back Neil Martin.

Devlin started the second half in determined mood with three shots – two were wayward but in between he so nearly got the visitors back in the game.

Ryan Hill’s deep cross from the right dropped over McGuinness’ head but although Devlin’s nod goalwards beat the static Ryan Harrison it also cannoned back off a post.

However, that only proved to be the cue for the Terras to double their advantage a minute shy of the hour mark.

Chris Allen’s corner from the left found Bennett’s wonderful run and the Exeter loanee rose above everybody to power a header into the net beyond the helpless Coward.

Dorchester could have pulled one back straight away but Harrison reacted to well to turn away Crittenden’s low shot after the ex-Chelsea winger had wriggled between two defenders and Brice blocked Devlin’s follow up in front of goal.

Hill and Groves exchanged off-target shots at each end while Walsh’s hopes of a dream finale to his Dorchester career ended when he headed well over.

Unfortunately a pulsating game petered out after that and the Magpies rarely threatened a comeback while Weymouth seemed content with what they had already achieved.