Chickerell United leapfrogged title rivals Corfe Castle with a 2-0 victory at home against them in the Dorset Senior League.

Goals in the 25th minute from Steve Welch and in the 35th minute from Matt Stickland sealed the win for the Chickens, who now sit top of the table with 24 points from nine league games.

The table topping clash was deadlocked until the home side opened the scoring in the 25th minute with good work from Welch, who moved down the left hand side and got in one on one with the keeper who he sent the keeper to one side and the ball the other.

Ten minutes later they elongated the lead, as Stickland went on a run before unleashing a shot that the keeper saved, before he managed to tuck in the rebound.

Corfe Castle came back at the Chickens in the second half and had some very good spells but failed to break Chickerell down and get back into the match.

Manager Shaun Murphy said of the second half: “They came back at us, they were probably the better side for 15 or 20 minutes, but didn’t really cause a lot of chances.”

Both sides had a few chances towards the end and the Chickerell keeper Bickerstaff did well to keep his clean sheet.

Manager Shaun Murphy said: “I’m very happy, very pleased.

“Couldn’t be more happy with the performance, their attitude, their commitment. There seems to be a nice buzz around the players at the moment in the changing room.

“It was a very deserved win if you ask me. They are as very good team probably the best side we have played this season but I think we deserved the win.”

The manager isn’t getting carried away and says they will approach the next match as normal and without looking at the league table.

Murphy said: “We’re taking it game by game but we are in a title race.

“They know what they’re capable of now and they know the standards they’ve set themselves but we need to keep the standards up for the rest of the season.”

The Chickens next face Cranborne First, who are 10th in the league at home on Saturday.

Chickerell: Bickerstaff, Collins, Miles, Rodgers, Sandeman, Handsford, Etherington (Heath 85), Harvey, Stuart, Stickland (Dewey 80), Welch. Subs not used: Bill.

Corfe Castle XI: Afful, Cattano, Gale, Hall, Hector, Johnstone, Lemon, Lovell, McCuish, Perry.