PORTLAND UTD RES 1 CHICKERELL UTD 2

THE Dorset Senior League title race will go down to the last weekend of the season after wins for Chickerell and Holt on Wednesday night.

Both sides are now only three points behind leaders Balti House following victories over Portland United Reserves and Piddletrenthide Spartans respectively.

The Chickens’ 2-1 triumph came in their penultimate game of the campaign, though Holt, who beat Spartans 3-1, have two matches left.

Chickerell boss Steve Coward is going to be among the crowd at Milborne St Andrew tomorrow when he will be hoping hosts Dorchester Sports can do his side a favour when they meet Holt.

If Holt win then they will hold the upper hand ahead of the final set of fixtures next weekend.

Dan Welch and Warren White were the men on target for Coward’s men at Grove Corner, as the visitors came from a goal down to see off the Blues.

The Stalls outfit made a sluggish start, which surprised Coward given their 10-0 hammering of Dorchester Sports last Saturday. Charlie May opened the scoring for the islanders before Welch equalised prior to the break with a far post header.

Then, with 15 minutes left, White, the scorer of a hat-trick against Sports, slotted home the winner from the edge of the area.

“We did struggle,” admitted Coward. “And Portland played really well, take nothing away from them. They worked really hard and gave us a real battle right throughout the game.

“After Saturday’s win I think we went into the match thinking it was going to be comfortable. But it was a derby and we always seem to have tough games against them, whatever team they put out. They never give up and we haven’t been very convincing against Portland this season.

“They might be at the bottom of the table but they are certainly not the worst team in the league.”

He added: “The three points were all that mattered to us. And it was a proper game of football, one which we needed before we go into our cup final next Tuesday.”

Coward knows Holt are the favourites to pip the Chickens and Balti House to the title, but he hasn’t given up hope just yet.

“I’m going to watch Holt play Dorchester Sports,” he said. “But it’s going to go down to the last game whatever happens. We’ve just got to hope that Holt either lose tomorrow or against Gillingham next weekend."

Chickens: Boore, Miles, Charles, Taylor (Burton), Ykhlef (Jarvis), Churchill, D Welch, S Welch, Etherington, Why (Newnham), White