HAMWORTHY REC 3

BALTI SPORTS 1

BALTI Sports put up a resilient defensive display before unbeaten Dorset Premier League leaders Hamworthy Rec broke through for a 3-1 victory at the Hamworthy Club.

Balti faced the league champions with a patched-up side after injuries and unavailable players whittled their matchday squad down to just 11 members.

Birthday boy and manager Marco Nott again undertook goalkeeping duties with brother Andy having sustained an ankle knock, but the boss was beaten in just the sixth minute.

Making a customary blistering start, the hosts had prolific former Bournemouth and Dorchester striker George Webb to thank for handing them the lead.

But Balti dug in on a heavy pitch and worked their way back into the game, midfielder Sammy Nichols slotting calmly home at the end of the first half.

Hamworthy became increasingly frustrated as their growing pressure was continually repelled by Nott, who made a catalogue of saves, and the hard-working Balti defence.

Rec finally retook the lead in the 59th minute as Nott exercised caution in scooping the ball out for a corner when on course to hit the outside of the post.

The hosts whipped the set-piece in and Nott tipped a header onto the crossbar before Sam Carter nodded home the loose ball.

Despite leading once more, Rec were rattled and Chris Bryer-Ash received a second yellow for a petulant kick aimed at Balti youngster Jack Drummond.

Balti used the numerical advantage to fire numerous crosses into the Rec box but the hosts repelled their efforts and countered for a two-on-one situation that sub Carl Edwards finished past Nott.

Speaking to Echosport, Nott highlighted the graft of the Balti defence.

He said: “I was really proud of our performance. We had three players pull out in the morning.

“We went up with 11 players, three of them were the young lads and two or three that hadn’t played for a couple of months – we were right in the mire.

“But to be fair we were excellent. We conceded and thought ‘this could be the heavens opened’ but we stuck at it, grew into the game and managed to get a goal through Sammy.

“We were more than holding our own.

“I had to make a couple of saves but the whole team was brilliant, the shape was brilliant and we stuck at our task really well on a heavy pitch.

“But we knew we were going to tire and we were hanging on like mad, which was a real shame.

“Even then, they had a man sent off with 10 minutes to go and we applied a bit of pressure but we just ran out of legs.

“To a man, every single one of them ran their heart out and we were knackered at the end of it. It was a spirited display.”

Balti: M Nott, O’Shaughnessy, Anderson, Burton, Zima, Taylor, Dovell, Walker, Nichols, Stavrianos, Drummond.

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