MERLEY COBHAM SPORTS 7

DORCHESTER SPORTS 1

DORCHESTER Sports were thumped 7-1 by Merley Cobham Sports in the Dorset Premier League.

Former Dorchester Town frontman Matt Groves was in fine form all afternoon, and the visitors just could not handle him.

Merley took the lead after just three minutes through an unopposed header from a corner, before Groves scored a quickfire double through a tap-in and a penalty to make it 3-0 after just 20 minutes.

Sports had a good chance to get back into the game when Richard Beasley’s left-footed effort was well saved, before Ashley White’s curled shot from 30 yards went just wide of the post.

The visitors were hoping to regroup after half-time and put pressure on the hosts, but Merley Cobham got their fourth after a mix-up between Sports’ captain Lewis Amor and keeper Ant Luque left striker Asa Philips with the task of rounding the keeper and slotting home to make it 4-0.

The hosts were far from finished as former-Magpie Groves got his third and fourth of the game to rub salt into the wounds of the visitors.

Jamie Symes did restore a bit of pride for Sports, scoring from a free-kick, but Merley were to have the last laugh as the striker dinked his effort over Luque to make it seven heaven for the hosts.

Sports: Luque, Heal, Gatehouse, Read, Lochrie, Critchell, Amor, White (A James 85), Eastick (Brumble 60), Beasley (Anderson 60), Symes