GILLINGHAM TOWN RES 0

BALTI SPORTS 1

BALTI Sports overcame a keeper crisis to maintain their six-point cushion at the top of the Dorset Premier League, with a win at Gillingham Town Reserves on Saturday.

Sports were left without a recognised keeper with half an hour gone, after regular gloveman Andy Nott was forced off with a hamstring injury.

Boss Marco Nott, who has done the job in goal before for the Weymouth-based side, was willing to don the gloves again.

But up stepped striker Josh Houghton to step between the sticks and he was rewarded with a clean sheet on the afternoon at Hardings Lane.

“Josh has been in goal before for other clubs and it wasn’t too bad. He didn’t have too much to do really,” said manager Nott.

The winner came for Balti inside the opening period. Ashley Batchelor, back in the Balti set-up after a spell with Weymouth Reserves, played a long ball over the top for frontman Ricky Lane to latch on to.

He brought the ball down and calmly rounded the Gills’ keeper to seal a gritty 1-0 win.

Houghton was called on to thwart the Gills late on when they ran in one-on-one, pulling off a sharp stop in the latter stages.

“It was a fantastic win really,” Nott added.

“To get two clean sheets in a row is brilliant because the defence deserve it.”

“It was by far the worst pitch we have come across all season and it was a real hard slog.

“It was probably the worst time to go there and the pitch was really heavy – to be fair to them they did well to get the game on. Any more rain and it would have probably been called off.”

As well as in goal, it was also another positional switch from one of his players that Nott was also highly impressed with, involving former Weymouth and Portland striker Carl McClements.

He added: “Carl played central midfield and he was probably our man of the match.

“He is playing in a holding midfield role really which is something I never thought he would do.

“He is very good in front of goal but he is good on the ball as well.

“He is experienced and has played at a high level so he’s perfect in there. He controlled the game really.”

Balti host fourth-placed Swanage on Saturday (2pm).

Balti: A Nott (Andrews 30), Batchelor, Anderson, Burton (Roberts 55), Pearce, Devaney, McClements, Kenderdine (Nichols 80), Zima, Houghton, Lane. Sub not used: M Nott