SWANAGE T&H 5

DORCHESTER SPORTS 3

DORCHESTER Sports were beaten by in-form Swanage in an enthralling encounter at Day’s Park.

A long injury list meant that Sports handed a first-team debut to 20-year-old former Terra Jamie West, who played at full-back during his time at the Bob Lucas Stadium but has been in red hot form for the Sports’ reserve side as a striker this season.

The county town outfit and also called up Luke Knight, Luke De La Haye and Jamie Rawlings from the reserves but the visitors got off to a poor start. A corner on five minutes was headed in by Swanage’s Nat Scott.

But the away side started to find their feet and forced an equaliser on 23 minutes when captain Lewis Amor’s free-kick was bundled over the line by Jason Read. This was the centre-back’s last action however, as he injured his knee in the build-up and had to be replaced.

Sports kept their attacking intent up and went in front just five minutes later when West’s low drive was well saved but Richard Beasley was on hand to smash in the rebound.

Controversy then struck as Amor’s last-ditch tackle in the box was deemed a foul and a penalty to the Swans – awarded by the referee’s assistant. Up stepped striker Graeme Rose to make it 2-2.

With Sports still fuming over that decision, a quick corner was taken by the home side and was bundled over the line by Cam Beard just before the break.

Following the interval, Sports regrouped and made it 3-3 on 50 minutes when West latched on to a ball over the top, the frontman cut in and bent his shot in off the post from the edge of the box.

But the battling visitors fell behind again when Swanage’s Paul Best, who had a brief spell with Portland United last term, ran through the middle of the Sports’ midfield after a quick free-kick and the ball fell to Rose, whose deflected strike trickled into the net.

A well-taken goal from Beard in the dying moments then made it 5-3 and ended Dorchester’s hopes of a point. The victory was Swanage’s 10th in a row in all competitions.

Speaking after the game, Sports’ boss Ashley James told Echosport: “We gave a really good account of ourselves and it was a good effort.

“We scored some good goals and, in the end, it could have gone either way, but the penalty decision killed us.”

He added: “The reserve lads who came in did really well and put in a good performance, Jamie West took his goal well too.

“Swanage are the biggest and most physical side we have played this year. They were up for it and, considering we took quite a few youngsters with us, I think we did well and we were unfortunate not to come away with a point at least.”

Premier League referee Bobby Madley was also in attendance to watch the encounter, before taking charge of AFC Bournemouth’s victory over Liverpool a day later.

Sports: Knight, Webb (De La Haye 70), Lochrie, Read (Rawlings 23), Amor (Turner 80), Thompson, Samways, White, West, Steele, Beasley