DORCHESTER SPORTS 3

PARLEY SPORTS 2

JAMIE Symes bagged a hat-trick as Dorchester Sports earned a vital league win to go back to third in the Dorset Premier League.

Sports, who were playing their first league game of the year, were missing key players in Ashley White, Jamie Rawlings, Cormac Lochrie and Dan Peart but handed a full debut to Alex Gould.

The county town side started brightly and were on the front foot and took a deserved lead on 10 minutes when Gareth Wills’ clever flick found Jamie Symes and his left-footed shot found the bottom corner.

Parley responded with their own good spell and equalised shortly after from a tap-in from the lively Jack Voisey four minutes later.

Dorchester were now finding it hard to get close to the visitors and, two minutes after they equalised, Parley took a deserved lead when a long ball from keeper Brad Kendrick straight down the middle was not dealt with and Voisey’s shot from 20 yards found its way past Antony Frost in the Sports’ goal.

Parley went close to making it three when another 20-yard effort from Josh Moody smashed against the bar.

It got worse for Dorchester on 30 minutes when debutant Gould had to be replaced after suffering concussion but the home side did not give up and drew level on the stroke of half-time when Will Turland crossed for Symes to again find the back of the net in the 43rd minute.

The second half was end to end with both teams going for the win and Parley had the better chance but Frost made a great save from close range and some last-ditch defending thwarted the away side.

The winning goal come on 65 minutes when some great closing down from Dorchester’s Symes, and his pass found Turland whose shot was handled on the line by a Parley defender and Symes stepped up to complete his hat-trick from the spot to complete the vital three points.

Dorchester manager Ashley James said: “It was a really important win, it was very much needed with not playing a league game since before Christmas. We wanted to get the next 16 games off to a good start and we have.

“It did not matter how we did it on Saturday we just needed that win, we managed to get over the line but it was pretty close to be fair. We are delighted we grounded it out and we showed good character.”

It was Symes’ second hat-trick against Parley this season and the second time that Sports have come from behind to claim all three points against the men in yellow.

Dorchester Sports are next in league action when they face Swanage & Wareham at the Avenue on Saturday, March 3 (3pm).

Sports: Frost, Gatehouse, Belt (Heal 68), Read, Beasley, Gould (Hewitt 30), Samways, Symes, Will, Steele, Turland (Churchill 80)