PORTLAND TOWN 2

SWANAGE TOWN & HERSTON RES 0

PORTLAND Town kept their Dorset League Division One title tilt alive with a 2-0 win over Swanage Town & Herston Reserves.

Town stay fourth after the triumph with six games remaining to overhaul the 12-point deficit to Bournemouth Electric, who have played two games more.

This was a routine, if not frustrating, victory at Lane End over a bolstered Swanage side who saw their first team game called off in the morning.

Town really did struggle to string a series of passes together, giving the ball away cheaply more often than not.

READ MORE: Portland Town 7-1 Milborne Port Reserves - match report

Neither keeper was tested in the opening 20 minutes as both sides put on a drab show of passing that was far below the levels expected.

Two corners asserted some pressure on the Swans' goal and when Gary Harvey headed goalwards only a flying one-handed tip-over denied him.

This brought about a spell of domination and a number of crosses caused mayhem. Tom Cherry saw the keeper save well with his feet, a series of strikes from the edge of the box were well blocked or flew over and then a Kev Paice charge down was hacked off the line.

Portland still had nothing to show for their efforts and Swanage then had a series of corners of their own but the hosts defended them well.

The second half was a similar story to the first but mainly heading towards the Swans' goal with more corners, more misplaced efforts.

Steve Lambert then hit a post with cross and Callum Allison the bar as the frustrations grew.

Ten minutes were left and the hosts had to throw on their 46-year-old manager, Kieron Neilson-Howes, such were the shortages on the day.

It was his challenge in the box that saw a defender skew his clearance wide to Allison and the wide man saw his cross evade everyone and nestle in the back of the net. It was deserved but pretty much summed up the afternoon.

Swans' keeper then made two great saves from Joe Watters and Harvey before Cherry ran clear to the seal the deal on 88 minutes after being released by Harvey.

The islanders next visit Allendale on Saturday.

Town: Theakstone; Paul (Watters), Pettitt (Owens), Rogers, M Lambert, Townley, Harvey, S Lambert, Paice (Neilson-Howes), Allison, Cherry.

Avalon Equine man of the match: Steve Lambert.