MERLEY COBHAM SPORTS 1 CHICKERELL UNITED 6

JOSH Why’s fantastic four saw Chickerell United get back to winning ways at second-bottom Merley Cobham Sports in the Magna Dorset Premier League.

The in-form striker hit a first-half hat-trick and added another one after the break as the visitors ran riot with further goals coming from Lee Pattison and Nick Etherington.

Speaking after the clash, United boss Maurice Welch said: “They are a struggling a bit. They got a new manager in last week and it is clear he still has a lot of sorting out to do.

“For that reason they were not the greatest side we will face this season but we still had to go there and do a job, which we did.

“We wanted a response following the previous week’s defeat against Tintinhull and we got one. We went three up on half an hour and by half-time it was 4-0.

“With the game already over we then worked on a few things in the second half and although we did concede a sloppy goal, which looked offside, overall it was a pleasing performance.”

Why opened the scoring on 15 minutes before Pattison added the second just 10 minutes later.

Cobham tried to respond but when Why made it 3-0 with the aid of a deflection the writing was on the wall.

The red-hot forward then bagged his third before hitting another after the break and although the hosts did pull one back, it was left to Etherington to have the final say in the closing stages.

Welch added: “Josh was superb. Both him and Lee worked really hard up front and I also thought Liam Miles and Sean Stewart were excellent again in the midfield.

“Another player that did well was James Hansford, who stepped up from the reserves, and Steve Boore also made some good saves.

“There are still things we need to work on defensively but it was good to get back on track and hopefully we can now go on and put another run together.”

The Chickens now sit sixth in the table, just six points off the top three.

Chickens: Boore, Lambert, Burton, Butcher, S Welch, Hansford (Beads 70), Stewart, Miles (Tarnawski 60), Etherington, Pattison, Why.