Depleted Sports let Royals off the hook (From Dorset Echo)

Depleted Sports let Royals off the hook

9:15am Wednesday 1st February 2012 in Football By Adam Summers

BLANDFORD UTD RES 1 WEYMOUTH SPORTS 1

CHRIS Hicks branded his side’s draw at Blandford United Reserves as one that got away after seeing his options restricted to a bare XI.

The Weymouth Sports joint-manager saw several players drop out at the last minute and then watched Jason Thoday pick up an injury in the warm-up.

Despite that the visitors were still the better side and would have won it had they displayed more composure in the final third.

Hicks said: “The build-up to the game was just ridiculous.

“At the start of the week we knew we would be without Stu Dixon and Scott Walker but we still had a decent squad of 15 come Friday night.

“However, by the time we came to kick-off, we only had the bare XI after several players were forced to pull out, including Jason in the warm-up.

“Simon Austin had to go in goal again and several of the lads had to play out of position. We also had a few who had not played for a while that had to play the full 90 minutes.

“Despite that though, we were the better team for much of the game.

“We knocked the ball around well at times and barring the first 15 minutes, we dominated and created the better chances.

“Andy Cleal hit the bar midway through the first half and then Robbie Rolls put us ahead on 35 minutes after a fine through ball from Steve Alcock.

“That gave us a 1-0 lead at half-time but it could and probably should have been more.

“They then caught us a bit cold at the start of the second half and equalised.

“We backed off their winger and when Simon parried the resulting shot the ball fell kindly to their striker who scuffed it home.

“It was a disappointing goal to concede but after that it was one-way traffic as we got back on top again.

“Unfortunately though, this time we could not make it pay as a combination of fine saves and a lack of composure in the final third ended up costing us what probably should have been all three points.

“It was one of those days where the ball just did not fall for us but considering the problems we had before kick-off a point does not seem too bad.

“The lads put in a huge effort and did really well, and had we had one or two more options I am confident we would have won.”

Sports, who host Portland United Reserves this Saturday, currently lie seventh in the Dorset Senior League and are still waiting for their first victory in 2012. Meanwhile, the Royals, whose goal came from Albert Harwood, now sit bottom, one point adrift of safety.

Sports: Austin, Hicks, Alcock, Bessant, Green, Quinton, Jones, Culpin, Stone, Cleal, Rolls.