WESTLAND SPORTS RES 2

DORCHESTER SPORTS 1

GOALS FROM Alex Murphy and Charlie Gay sealed an upset that saw Dorchester Sports bow out at the quarter-final stage of this year’s Dorset Senior Trophy against Dorset Senior League side Westland Reserves.

Sports were missing up to eight first-team players as Jason Read was serving a one-game ban, while two were away on holiday and five are currently out injured.

Sports found it difficult to get going but despite this they took an early lead.

The hosts applied early pressure but 20 minutes in the visitors took the lead when Dan Peart’s long-range free-kick found the top corner.

That was as good as it got for Sports who battled close to half-time but their efforts were in vain when they gave away a needless free-kick on the edge of the box.

The set-piece was not cleared and Murphy was there was to tap in for Westland.

Sports nearly took the lead again in the second half but Joel Hewitt’s long-range effort smashed against the bar.

The winning goal came in the 71st minute when a Sports’ corner was taken short and instead of heading into the box it went back to the halfway line.

From there, Gay took the ball and ran halfway up the pitch unchallenged to easily tap past Antony Frost in the Sports’ goal.

This goal proved decisive and sent Sports out in a deserved victory for Westland.

Sports manager Ashley James said: “I am obviously very disappointed to go out. We did not perform nowhere near as good as we could.

“In the end, they were too good for us and they deserved to go through.”

Referring to his side’s lengthy list of absences, James said: “We do not want to make up excuses but we could not cope without them really, they were key players to our team.

“They all probably would have been close to starting so it is not like they are fringe players either.

“We are not going to make up excuses, that team we put out on Saturday was still a very good side but unfortunately we let ourselves down and I am absolutely gutted about it.

“We have got to try and pick ourselves up now and concentrate on the league.”

Dorchester Sports are next in action when they are away to Blandford United in the Dorset Premier League (2pm) on Saturday.

Dorchester Sports: Frost, Belt, Peart (Harvey 70), Lochrie, Beasley, White, Will, Samways (Churchill 80), Gatehouse, Hewitt (Eastick 70), Turland

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