DORCHESTER SPORTS 3

HAMWORTHY REC 2

DORCHESTER Sports are proving to be the comeback kings of the Dorset Premier League this season, as they rallied once again to see off Hamworthy Recreation at the Avenue.

Sports, who were playing their 250th first-team fixture as a club at the weekend, sealed all three points to go above Rec in the table thanks to Lewis Amor’s winner eight minutes from time.

“It was a good way to bring that 250 up and it was a good game for the neutral, they always are when we seem to play at the Avenue,” manager Ashley James told Echosport.

“We have won late and come from behind five or six times this season. I think I added up we have claimed about 24 points from being behind this season now.”

With their squad stretched the county town side had made three new signings a day before the game, with Josh Hills coming into the starting line-up and Nathan Aston and Billy Brumble on the bench.

The hosts haven’t managed to score the opening goal in their last six games and they fell behind initially again as Rec opened the scoring through James Osborne.

Things then got worse for Sports as they then lost in-form Richard Beasley to an ankle injury which could see him miss the rest of the campaign.

That pushed Darren Webb further forward however, and it was his cross that found Hills on the edge of the box to level the game up at 1-1 on his Sports’ debut.

The second half started with the visitors yet again on top and Rec regained the lead when a deflected shot from Sam Rea looped over home keeper Sam Turner on 50 minutes.

Hamworthy then could have sealed the game but missed a one-on-one chance and also had an effort cleared off the line by Dorchester’s Jamie Symes.

But Sports kept pushing and were given a man advantage on 65 minutes when Rec’s Rea was shown a straight red card for an off-the-ball incident with Cormac Lochrie.

James’ side capitalised on the numerical advantage and equalised on 72 minutes. Hills’ pass found former Bridport man Symes, who smashed home his 14th goal of the season.

And, as so often has been the case this season, Sports sensed a winner and it arrived in the 82nd minute when Jamie Samways’ free-kick fell to Amor in the box and the home skipper tucked away his first goal of the season to win it.

Sports had Samways sent off for a second yellow card late on but managed to hold on for another comeback win.

Asked what he felt his side’s ability to respond after falling

behind was down to, James replied: “The first thing is it’s not pleasing that we keep going behind!

“I don’t know why we don’t start very quickly. At the moment we aren’t but we are growing into the games and our desire, fitness and character is just unbelievable.

“We never give up and I think that’s six times now that we have scored the winner in the 80th minute or later. The lads deserve massive credit for it.”

Sports: Turner, Gatehouse, Webb (Aston 45), Amor, Lochrie, White, Samways, Beasley (Heal 25), Symes, Hills, Butler (Brumble 72). Subs not used: Quinn, Read