GILLINGHAM TOWN 4

DORCHESTER SPORTS 1

DORCHESTER Sports fell to their third Dorset Premier League defeat in the space of a week courtesy of a 4-1 loss at unbeaten Gillingham Town.

Elliot Bevis grabbed a brace for Town, who also saw Ashley Clarke and Buddy O’Shea net, while Sports’ Richard Beasley notched a consolation for the visitors, who had lost successive games to Parley Sports and Portland United Reserves.

The win is Gillingham’s first of the season, following three successive draws, and the hosts only had to wait eight minutes to take the lead when Clarke finished a flowing move from close range, beating the Dorchester defence to the cross.

Sports, who were playing without a recognised goalkeeper, had stand-in gloveman Carl Hopkins to thank for several outstanding saves as Gillingham continued to press during the half.

After failing to add to their tally before the break, the hosts rapidly extended their lead.

Sports were guilty of making two defensive errors and they were duly punished by fine finishes from Bevis and O’Shea.

Ashley James’ men refused to give up and got their consolatory strike when Beasley rose highest at the back post to nod home into the Gillingham net.

Sports were suddenly in the ascendancy and could have made it 3-2 but for a wasteful finish, blazing high over the bar with their next attack.

Having been given a wake-up call, Gillingham seized back the initiative and promptly scored their fourth to end the contest.

A fine attack again saw the Sports defence in all sorts of trouble and, after Clarke saw an effort cleared off the line, Bevis was on hand to tuck home the rebound and complete the scoring.

Speaking to Echosport following the defeat, James conceded the encounter was “never going to be easy” without a regular goalkeeper between the posts.

He said: “It was a difficult afternoon. We lost the early goal and it was never going to be easy missing a few players up there. We didn’t have a goalkeeper.

“Carl’s normally a defender and he made three or four really good saves. It’s a hard place to go with a normal goalkeeper. We tried to battle but we weren’t good enough.

“It’s been a really hard week with three defeats. I don’t think we’ve lost three games on the bounce in the last three years.

“Gillingham will be up there and unfortunately we couldn’t compete.”

Sports: Hopkins, Hill, Read, B Thomas, Quinton, Amor (Gould 60), G Will, Rawlings, Turland, R Beasley (Churchill 75), Hewitt

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