BALTI SPORTS 4

GILLINGHAM TOWN 3

BALTI Sports manager Marco Nott hailed the 4-3 Dorset Premier League victory over Gillingham Town at Weymouth College as a “massive win”.

Nott, whose side returns to the top of the standings, added Sports’ performance was “arguably” their best of the season after opening a 4-0 lead.

But the Balti boss felt his players were guilty of “switching off” to allow Gillingham back into the game with further slack defending.

He told Echosport: “When we play at home we generally play a lot better. It was a massive win for us going into the next game. We didn’t know what to expect with Gillingham. They’re a good side but I thought the way we played was excellent.

“The game started really evenly. Both teams had chances and it was a good football match.

“We just completely took over.

“We arguably played the best we’ve played all season, 4-0 up and we were in absolute cruise control. Then it happened again with a sloppy goal.

“A ball over the top and they dinked it over Andy (Nott). Then we played a stupid ball in the middle of the park and they scored and then we switched off for a back-post header.

“Sammy Nichols got sent off with 10 minutes to go but when you actually look back at it, it was a really good three points.”

Nott was pleased with how Sports defended for the first hour, but berated the “sloppy” goals his side conceded thereafter.

He said: “We defended really well for an hour. Maybe it was a case of switching off with half an hour to go. You could see the nerves and then we thought ‘here we go again’.

“If we got done by a worldie you’d say fair enough, but it’s the way the goals are going in. Our general defending has been fine, it’s just sloppy mistakes.”

Ethan Devaney opened the scoring for Balti before a 20-yard Danny Andrews strike found the top corner to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.

Balti added two more goals through Oscar Preece and Liam Taylor’s cross-cum-shot before an Eliot Bevis brace and a Harry Smith goal provided a jittery ending to the game.

Having held on for the win, Nott lavished praise on Devaney, who had a hand in all four goals.

“He’s been a different player this year. He’s always chipped in with a few goals but I think he’s got seven goal in seven games.

“We weren’t too sure if he could play in central midfield but he’s been our player of the season so far,” Nott said.

Sports: A Nott, Taylor, Pearce, Proffitt, Dovell, Nichols, Devaney, Kenderdine, Preece (Zima 85), Andrews (McClements 60), Lane. Subs not used: Austin, Burton, Roberts

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