PORTLAND UNITED 4 SHAFTESBURY TOWN 1

BRACES for Portland United front pair Ashley Smith and Lewis Clarke were enough to see the island club back to winning ways with a resounding success over Shaftesbury Town.

The strike duo were razor sharp to put their side into a 2-0 lead at half-time, and virtually wrapped up the contest early in the second period.

“It was a really good performance, we played some really good football at times and it was nice to get back to winning ways,” Blues' boss Gary Bailey told Echosport.

“I have said previously that it’s nice to have goals coming from all over the pitch but, at the end of the day, you want your strikers scoring.

The home side had to wait until 23 minutes to take the lead when Clarke’s close-range header from Smith’s cross was unstoppable, and from then on the Blues continued to dominate.

Nine minutes later, a tenacious piece of work from Smith was rewarded as he closed down a Shaftesbury defender and beat the goalkeeper one-one-one to put daylight between the sides at the interval.

Just two minutes after half-time Clarke notched his second when he combined with Smith once again to slot home into the bottom corner.

After the Blues had a goal disallowed for offside, Smith then bagged his brace, ensuring he had played a part in all of the Blues’ goals when he headed home Ed Bastic’s cross at the far post.

And although Bailey’s charges conceded late on to deny goalkeeper Warren Boyt a clean sheet, the manager refused to let that dampen his spirits.

He added: “I think it’s obvious that there will be three or four frontrunners in the league and that’s no great surprise.

“We will all drop points before the end of the season, it’s just important not to lose back-to-back games.

“Without being over confident, I didn’t think we would do that and the lads proved me right and showed how good they are.”

Blues: Boyt, Bessant (Austin 65), B Doidge, Carmichael, Reader, Mutch (Holland 70), Bastic, R Doidge, McKechnie, Clarke (Price 60), Smith.

Match Ball sponsor: Phil Laming Match day programme sponsor: Travis Perkins.