HAMWORTHY REC 5 BALTI SPORTS 1

BALTI Sports chief Marco Nott was more than willing to accept that his side’s below-par performance at Magna Road on Saturday was their worst of an otherwise impressive season to date.

Ricky Lane’s stunning free-kick got the visitors on level terms just before the break but they then conceded seconds later to trail 2-1 at half-time.

A “dubious” third for the hosts early in the second period killed the game off and Rec went on to score two more to sink the Dorset Premier League leaders.

And while disappointed with Balti’s display, Nott was also quick to praise their opponents.

Commenting on the match, he told Echosport: “We just didn’t play our way and were poor from the off.

“We didn’t play anything like we have been recently but you’ve got to give credit to them, they are the best team we have played this season by a long way.

“We had a little spell in the first half where we played well but went behind when we gave the ball straight to their forward.

“But we scored five minutes before half-time with an absolute screamer from Ricky Lane which went right in the top corner.

“We’d have taken 1-1 at half-time at that point but they went straight down the other end and got a second.

“I had a few choice words with the players in the changing room after that.”

Speaking about the third Rec goal, he added: “It was a bit dubious. Their lad got his head to a corner and we cleared it off the line but the linesman gave it.

“My lads were adamant it wasn’t a goal and their heads seemed to drop after that.

“That goal killed the game off and we never recovered from it.”

He continued: “That was definitely our worst performance of the season.

“We lost a lot of 50-50s and they bullied us, which was a bit disappointing.”

The performances of goalscorer Lane and Ashley Batchelor were two of the few positives to come out of the clash for Nott.

“Ricky was different class up front,” he said. “His hold up play and all-round performance was outstanding. Ashley again played well at right-back.”

Rec’s goals on Saturday came courtesy of a Max Wilcock hat-trick and one each for Jamie Moores and Martin Warren.

Balti: Nott, Batchelor, Burton, Anderson (Proffitt), Pearce, Litherland, Kenderdine (Dean), Lock, Devaney (Andrews), Nicholls, Lane.