BLANDFORD UNITED 9

PORTLAND UNITED RES 1

BLANDFORD United blew away the lockdown cobwebs in spectacular fashion by plundering nine goals against Portland United Reserves.

In truth, the 9-1 scoreline could easily have been double figures as the Royals missed four one-on-one chances in this Dorset Premier League encounter.

Opening day fixtures seem to be a major Achilles heel for the Blues’ second string, with this 9-1 thrashing adding to previous 8-1 and 10-1 losses in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Blandford went ahead after nine minutes when Taylor Pike smuggled a shot into the net through a crowd of bodies.

Portland were denied what seemed an creditable penalty shout as Sol Roche was felled when tracking down a low cross in the box before Caleb Tennant directed a header from a corner straight at striker-turned-goalkeeper Mark Ford – formerly of Weymouth.

Blandford increased their lead as Tennant was caught in possession by Bradley Pike, who set up brother Taylor for his second.

Ford’s quick clearance to Archie McCarthy, brother of Weymouth midfielder Jake, helped set up a third as Bradley Pike got in on the act.

Worse was to follow for Portland as Tennant was forced off with an injury, the Blues having to patch up their backline.

On 30 minutes, Lance Wilson latched on to a poor clearance from Ford but he lofted his 30-yard effort agonisingly onto the roof of the net before Josh Camp and Sol Roche aimed efforts wide of goal.

Portland were punished for these missed chances as Jake Ford teed up Taylor Pike for a deserved hat-trick as Blandford led 4-0 at half-time.

After the restart, Mark Ford made an incredible save from Manny Roche’s fierce drive but Blandford added a fifth on 55 minutes when Bradley Pike finished off a flowing team move.

On 61 minutes Blandford scored a sixth by mugging Ross Pettitt of possession, leading to Bradley Pike netting his hat-trick.

Portland pulled a goal back five minutes later as Aaron Ryan’s drive was too hot to handle for Mark Ford, the ball slipping through his grasp.

Sub Jack Jones hit the post for Blandford before Bradley Pike notched his scored with a direct free-kick in off the post.

Jones got Blandford’s eighth on 79 minutes after latching onto a superb ball in behind before Taylor Pike grabbed Blandford’s ninth, reacting quickest to a rebound off the keeper.

Speaking to Echosport, Blandford boss Jamie Haylock sympathised with Portland.

He said: “The lads were well up for it. We’ve had some work on the ground and we’re just trying to get everything right off the pitch.

“It’s slowly starting to come together and the boys were on it from the off.

“Being truthful, it could’ve been 14 or 15 because we missed four one-on-ones and we hit the post.

“I don’t want to see that happen to anyone, especially Justin (Faulkner, Blues’ boss). They had a young side and I did feel for him because they had some good players, they kept fighting right to the 90th minute.

“We’ve been working a lot on shape, patterns, where we need to be. It was a good performance, (I’m) very happy with it.”

On the Pike brothers’ eight-goal contribution, Haylock added: “It’s not often you get a player scoring four goals in a game, let alone two brothers.

“Taylor has been working really hard in pre-season on his finishing. One’s a winger and one’s an attacking midfielder, so for them to get four goals without being a striker, or playing off the last man, is very pleasing.”

Reflecting, Portland’s Faulkner said: “That was a pretty bad day at the office for us, we have played nothing like what we have seen in training and pre-season games, we are far better than what we have showed. I think this side is cursed when it comes to opening day fixtures.

“Our preparations for the game weren’t great this week, we had a few missing due to unavailability and we lost our keeper to the first team on Friday morning.

“We’ve given them two or three goals with individual mistakes and I know the keeper feels he should have saved a couple and he was disappointed with his performance.

“But as I say to the players we win as a team and we lose as a team, I am definitely not one for digging out players or pointing the finger, there is just no point to that.”

“We go again next week, this result will have hurt a few players in that dressing room, it certainly does sting me and doesn’t reflect the ability in this team or the quality at all.

“If you look at it philosophically we have had four or five good chances and they have scored goals from our mistakes, it could have been five-all.

“We just need to forget about this one, learn from it and get our season under way next week when we have a chance to put it right.”

Royals: M Ford, P Ford, Oliver, Johnson, Parry, Smith (Pitman), J Ford (Norman), B Pike, T Pike, McCarthy (Jones), E Manson.

Blues Res: Spann, Ad Diaz, Riley, Tennant, Pettitt, Garbutt, Ryan, M Roche, S Roche, Wilson, Camp. Subs: To Butcher, Ty Butcher, Carter.

Attendance: 120