DORCHESTER SPORTS 5

POOLE BOROUGH 1

DORCHESTER Sports ended a 21-day wait between fixtures in emphatic fashion with a 5-1 triumph over Poole Borough at the Avenue Stadium.

Ashley James’ men had the agonising lay-off after suffering back-to-back defeats and have lost three players in the intervening period.

Jamie Beasley and Kyle Critchell have signed for Bemerton and Portland Town respectively but remain dual-registered with Sports, while Caleb Tennant will re-join Portland United Reserves permanently.

And Sports put their absence to one side with a commanding first-half display that yielded three goals among a catalogue of missed chances.

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Nick Voss got Sports up and running with a ruthless finish from Jack Delves’ through ball, but Poole nearly equalised from long-range on 15 minutes, only to hit the crossbar.

Dan Sheehy converted a one-on-one chance on the half-hour for 2-0 and Voss turned provider for a 3-0 half-time lead, unselfishly squaring for Jamie West who bagged a tap-in.

Sheehy, Voss and West could also have registered hat-tricks in a wasteful first half.

Sheehy was repelled when clean through and then again when the Hornets’ keeper blocked a shot from six yards.

West was denied one-on-one twice, Voss crunched a shot against the post and the forward was also unable to beat the Poole keeper in a frustrating first half.

Opportunities were infrequent in a quieter second period but Sports were more clinical as Alex Godfrey made it 4-0.

Poole grabbed a consolation through Simon Proffitt’s header from a corner on 80 minutes but Delves notched the goal of the game with a 20-yard volley to round off a welcome victory.

Speaking to Echosport, James said: “The lads that were there were brilliant from start to finish.

“Some of the football we played – we should’ve been 10-0 up at half-time and that’s not an exaggeration.

“Their goalkeeper was unreal, he must’ve made seven or eight top saves. We got the two goals just before half-time to make it 3-0 and then we didn’t look back.

“Some of the football that led up to it was fantastic and they should take massive credit for that.”

James added: “To be fair, it’s been a nightmare with 21 days without a game after losing two. It’s been a really tough period.

“Players have left and it’s not been easy at all. We were really under the cosh player-wise and it seemed like the 21 days gave us a fresh mind to go again.

“We said it would sort of start the season again and it did feel like the first day of the season. There was no real pressure, the lads were brilliant from start to finish.

“A very happy day to end a very bad three weeks.”

Sports: Hutchings, J Steele, Heal (Green 80), Bessant, O’Shaughnessy, Browne (Samways 65), Delves, Voss, Sheehy, Godfrey, West.