DORCHESTER SPORTS 2

Turland 55, White 88

WESTLAND SPORTS 1

Irwin 60

A MAGIC Ashley White strike in the 88th minute was enough for Dorchester Sports to beat Westland Sports in a snowy Dorset Premier League battle at the Avenue Stadium.

Will Turland had put the hosts in front before Jamie Irwin levelled soon afterwards, setting the scene for White’s dramatic late winner.

Sports were without their three first-choice centre-backs in Dan Peart, Cormac Lochrie and Jason Read. Boss Ashley James chose Dan Belt and Alex Gould as a makeshift defensive partnership.

Westland’s Josh Payne was a real threat and curled a shot against the post, before rounding Antony Frost in the home goal and hitting the side netting.

Sports’ first chance fell to 16-year-old striker Joel Hewitt but his powerful header was well saved by Sam Watts from a rich Beasley Cross. Dorchester lost Gareth Will with just 20 minutes gone and he was replaced by Turland.

Thereafter it remained goalless in the half, but upon the resumption, Sports started on the front foot and another Hewitt header clipped the top of the bar with Watts beaten.

Jamie Symes then saw his goalbound curling shot well saved by Watts, but from the resulting corner the keeper was finally beaten as his punch from a Jamie Samways’ cross found Turland who smashed in from 10 yards.

Westland responded brightly and should have levelled but Irwin shot over from close range before equalising shortly after when he rounded Frost and tapped in from close range.

In reply, Samways had a shot saved by Watts and substitute Lewis Amor should have given the hosts the lead but his strike flew over the bar.

Payne went through one-on-one for Westland and shot agonisingly wide. But Sports plugged away and White chipped Watts from 40 yards after the keeper rushed out for a clearance to spark mass celebration on the home side’s bench.

Speaking to Echosport after the game, manager James said: “It was a massive win for us. It was end-to-end and any team could have won it, but it was a really special goal and a geat way to win the game.”

On White’s strike, James added: “If you want the ball to fall to anyone you’d want it to be him. As soon as it left his foot I knew it was in.”

The victory sends Sports one point behind Westland, who lie second, but James’ men have a game in hand and sit fourth. Sports play Sherborne Reserves on Saturday.

Sports: Frost, Gatehouse (Amor 64), Beasley, Gould, Belt, Critchell, Samways (White 76) Symes, Will (Turland 20) Hewitt, Rawlings. Subs not used: Churchill, Fusco

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