DORCHESTER SPORTS 2

HOLT UNITED 0

DORCHESTER Sports came out on top in the battle of fifth against sixth, beating 10-man Holt United 2-0 at the Avenue Stadium.

Victory extended to five games Sports’ winning run in the Jewson Dorset Premier League and yielded their third consecutive clean sheet.

It also maintained Sports’ perfect home record this season but the hosts were made to work hard for their sixth win at the Avenue.

Holt dominated possession early on and Sports’ frustrations boiled over when Nick Voss missed a good chance for 1-0 before defender Shaun Bessant was sin-binned for dissent prior to half-time.

After the restart, Sports saw out Bessant’s sin-bin and began to attack as Alex Godfrey and Jamie Symes saw efforts saved by former Weymouth and Poole goalkeeper Tom Rees.

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Charlie Gosney would then lift a one-on-one chance over the bar before a red card changed the game.

Holt’s George Lane was sent off for a dangerous late tackle on Sports’ goalkeeper Nick Hutchings with half an hour to play.

With an extra man’s advantage, Sports settled the game in their favour as Godfrey smashed home from a Voss assist.

Bessant then nodded a Godfrey corner to skipper Jamie Symes who belted a finish past Rees for 2-0.

Voss and sub Billy Brumble were also denied by the hard-working Rees but Sports had enough in hand to see off the Bulls.

Sports’ boss Ashley James told Echosport: “They came and played really well, really took the game to us. They kind of played like the home team in the first half.

“They kept better possession and looked like they wanted it a little bit more than us. It was a tough 45 minutes, obviously with the sin-bin as well at the end of the half.

“We managed to hold on and then second half we came out a completely different side, took the initiative to them, got two goals and never really looked back.

“It could’ve been a lot more in the end but 2-0, we’ll take that and move on to the next game.”

Sports visit Shaftesbury Town Reserves in the Dorset Premier League Cup quarter-finals tonight (7.45pm).

James added: “We’re desperate to get into a semi-final. We know it’s going to be another tough game at Shaftesbury.

“They’re not going to be down to the bare bones and it will be a tough game at their own pitch in front of their own crowd.

“But we’re in confident mood and hopefully we can go in and put in another good performance.

“We played really well when we went up there and beat them 5-1.

“It’s going to be a great game. Both teams play on 3G so they should be used to that pitch. This is the one we want.”

Darren Watts returns but Alex Gould (work) misses out.

Sports: Hutchings, Heal (Samways 68), Bessant, Hankin, A Gould, Symes, J Steele, Gosney (Brumble 73), Godfrey, Tennant (Quinton 65), Voss.