BALTI SPORTS 6

STURMINSTER NEWTON 0

BALTI Sports got their Dorset Premier League campaign off to a high-octane start with a comfortable 6-0 victory over Sturminster Newton at a wet and windy Weymouth College.

Ricky Lane bagged a hat-trick, while Danny Andrews, Ethan Devaney and new signing Sanchez Baker all weighed in as Balti opened their league effort in style.

Marco Nott men’s were restricted in the first 25 minutes, despite enjoying most of the possession, but finally broke through the visitors’ defence courtesy of Devaney.

New captain Ryan Dovell was the architect, raiding down the left side and supplying Devaney, who shuffled past three defenders with quick footwork before side-footing home into the far corner.

Suddenly, Balti unleashed their attacking flair and just a minute later Andrews delivered the ball across the box for Baker, who controlled before slamming a fierce shot into the top corner.

Lane notched his first of the game when powering a vicious free-kick under the wall and into the net from the edge of the D, before Sports earned a 4-0 half-time lead with a carbon copy of the second goal.

This time, it was roles reversed as Baker sprinted down the left flank and found Andrews, who slid in to grab a well-deserved goal.

Sturminster, who had barely threatened, emerged a brighter force in the second half and nearly produced a consolation, only for Andy Nott to make a brilliant save to rescue his side from a one-on-one situation.

The visitors were punished for wasting that chance when Lane blasted in his second after the ball fell kindly to him in the Newton area.

With Balti once more playing their usual fluent passing game, Lane completed his treble when capitalising on acres of space to slide in his team’s sixth.

Commenting on an impressive opening day triumph, manager Marco Nott labelled Sports’ play as “outstanding”.

He said: “We played really well – our football was outstanding. We played it out from the back and passed it around nicely.

“It was a really good first game win, for sure. The game started a bit cagey, trying to adjust to the conditions. After 25 minutes it was 0-0 still but we got the breakthrough with Ethan.

“We dominated the ball but it was a case of getting that breakthrough. Andy made a good save and that woke us up, we got back on top and started playing our football again.”

Balti: A Nott, R Walker, Burton, Roberts, Nichols, S Walker (Kenderdine), Dovell, Devaney (Dean), Andrews, Lane, Baker (Preece). Sub not used: L Taylor

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