BLANDFORD UNITED 3

BALTI SPORTS 0

BLANDFORD United completed a trilogy of victories over Balti Sports with a simple 3-0 win in the Jewson Dorset Premier League.

Josh Feirn’s Royals had already beaten Balti 3-2 and 5-3 this season in league and Dorset Senior Trophy action respectively.

And the treble could easily have been sealed with more than three goals as Blandford striker Mark Ford missed a hatful of chances.

Blandford’s afternoon did not start encouragingly when goalkeeper Ryan Park was forced off with injury.

Ford himself has donned the gloves this season but the Royals opted for Jamie Lyth to go in goal, Paul Ford then coming on to provoke a defensive rejig.

Balti’s Danny Andrews missed a glorious chance for 1-0 after rounding the keeper, only to shoot shy of the target.

READ MORE: Balti Sports hail Matt Le Tissier night

Blandford recovered from their setback by taking the lead as Taylor Pike tapped home a superb cross from the right.

Elliot Manson then made it 2-0 with a completely free header from a corner.

After the break, Brad Pike waltzed through the Balti box to add a third.

As for Ford’s opportunities, the striker squandered three one-on-ones, hitting the side netting plus the woodwork and finally being denied by keeper Andy Nott.

Speaking to Echosport, Feirn said: “I’m over the moon with it. We had Mike Johnson and Steve Smith – our two regular centre-halves out.

“We brought in Jamie from the reserves but after 10 minutes our goalkeeper got injured so Jamie had to go in goal.

“To have him in goal and another reserve player take his place at centre-half I’m pleased we kept a clean sheet.

“I’m very happy but there have been some critics. Some teams saying they have a look at us and saying we look like a pub team.

“The way I look at it is that the teams we’ve lost to – Ham Rec and Dorch Sports – are going to be up there.

“We’ve won every other game. I can’t complain, the start we’ve made is brilliant.”

Balti boss Marco Nott said: “It was a disappointing result. We just lack a lot of quality at the moment.

“We had chances to go 1-0 up and just didn’t take them. Then we made some silly mistakes and got punished for it.

“It was reasonably open again but quite a slow pace. They played within themselves once they got the third.

“Another defeat. I’m getting used to them now, especially against Blandford. It would be nice to play someone different for a change!”

Royals: Arnett (Hill 72), M Ford, John, Lyth, Manson, McCarthy, Oliver, Park (P Ford 10), B Pike, T Pike (Ayley 58), Parry.

Balti: A Nott, Curran (Heggie 50), Walker, Anderson, O’Shaughnessy, Beals, Grace, R Zima (Lawrence 46), Taylor, Chambers, Andrews.