BALTI SPORTS 5

MERE TOWN 2

A GOAL of the season contender from Charlie Kenderdine helped Balti Sports keep pace with Holt United at the top of the Dorset Premier League as they beat Mere Town 5-2 at Weymouth College.

Along with Kenderdine’s rocket, there was a brace for Oscar Preece as well as goals for Sean Zima and Ricky Lane in the convincing win.

Manager Marco Nott, who played the full 90 minutes in goal, told Echosport after the game: “We were much better on Saturday. It was good to be back on the home pitch and we played how we always play.

“We got the ball down and played it wide. We scored some good goals including Kenderdine’s which was one of the goals of the season for us.”

That strike, which found the top corner, followed Preece’s header from a corner and, from then on, the hosts never looked back.

They made it 3-0 before the break. Lane stepping up to dispatch a penalty.

The away side did pull a goal back before the break. Nott flapped at a corner, leaving the away side an easy chance to get themselves back into the game.

The manager and deputy keeper, who was between the sticks because brother Andy injured himself in the previous fixture, had very little to do during a game that his side put to bed at the start of the second half.

Preece, who Nott described as outstanding, netted his second and his side’s fourth 10 minutes into the second half.

Zima then added the fifth. He cut in on to his right foot and slotted the ball home to seal the win.

Mere, to their credit, kept plugging away and did find the net gain from the spot. Jack Twyford with the goal.

Nott added: “Overall, it was a good team performance.

“We made a few changes and it certainly helped us. We had a lot more balance to our play.

“Dan Welch played really well in midfield and Simon Proffitt was brilliant.

“Jason (Pearce) and Shane (Lock) came back in and they’re always a seven out of 10.”

Asked about his own performance, Nott remarked: “I could have done better for the first goal but I didn’t have a lot to do, luckily. I’m hoping Andy will be back in the team for next week. He warmed me up on Saturday and he looked alright.”

This weekend’s game is against Westland Sports – a team that beat Balti 5-1 on the opening day of the season.

Balti: Nott, Pearce (Taylor 75), Proffitt, Anderson, Lock, Devaney, Welch (Roberts 60), Kenderdine, Zima (Jarvis 60), Preece, Lane. Sub not used: Andrews