STURMINSTER MARSHALL 2
WEYMOUTH SPORTS 5

BEN Thomas produced a man of the match display as Weymouth Sports finally recorded their first victory of the season in the Dorset Senior League.

Bottom-of-the-table Sturminster Mars-hall fought hard throughout but the visitors had more quality on the day and ran out comfortable winners despite conceding two disappointing goals.

Sports’ joint-manager Chris Hicks said: “It was good to get the win because it has been a long time coming but we got it by playing some of the worst football we have produced so far this season.

“We were not as good with the ball as we have been and at times we tried to force it forward and gave it away quite a bit, but having said that, in terms of attitude, work rate and commitment it was excellent.”

No one typified that high-level of commitment more than Thomas who grabbed two first-half goals and also provided a couple of assists.

Hicks added: “Ben has been one of our most consistent players so far this season, along with Shaun Bessant, and once again he was superb. “He gave us an early lead with a finish on the angle before they then levelled following another lapse at the back where we all stopped waiting for a whistle that never came. I did have an opportunity to hook the ball off the line but couldn’t quite manage it and it ended up going in off my chest.

“After that we then knuckled down and by half-time we were 3-1 up with Mike Sonner netting his first goal for the club and Ben grabbing his second.

“They then came out and made it 3-2 early in the second half but once again we reacted well and went on to grab a couple more with Russ Green hitting the fourth before Andy Cleal nodded in a cross from Ben for the fifth.

“It was good to have Andy back and hopefully now we go on and build on this over the coming weeks.”

The victory has taken Sports up to 10th in the table but several of the teams around them do hold games in hand. Their next assignment this Saturday is a tough home game against fourth-placed Stourpaine.

Sports: Parkes, Stroud, Bessant, Windust, Hicks, Green (Taylor 65), Culpin, Austin (Cleal 60), W Sonner, Thomas, M Sonner (Miles-Bell 75).