PORTLAND TOWN 1

DORCHESTER SPORTS RES 0

PORTLAND Town bounced back from their first league defeat to beat Dorchester Sports Reserves 1-0 and rise into third in the Dorset Senior League table.

Sports started very aggressively, closing down quickly and on nine minutes Billy Dean got inside of Joe Watters but pulled his shot wide.

On 16 minutes though Town hit the lead, with their first real chance.

A ball from deep from Leon Attree found Callum Norman and his driven effort from just inside the box flew past Sam Duncalf via a meaty deflection.

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The game settled into a midfield battle with neither taking control, Jordon Moore curling an effort just wide from the angle while at the other end Dean did similarly.

Sports’ Ash Smith then made a jinking run at the heart of the Town defence but shot wide of the mark on 38 minutes before the game swung end-to-end right to the half-time break.

Will Turland hit the post with an overhead kick from 12 yards from Norman’s cross, Dean then flashed a cross into the six-yard box with no-one on hand to finish and Read hit a free-kick high and wide.

Town finished the stronger though as they pushed into the last five minutes looking for a second.

Rob Townley saw a header cleared off the line by Jamie Gillett and then missed the target from the resulting corner as he got free at the near post.

In the final minute, Attree headed wide of the far post.

The second half was a cagey affair before a Town mistake at the back let in Toby Read but he blazed over from the edge of the box.

On the hour, Turland and Tom Cherry were starting to ask some questions of Sports’ back line, stretching them on occasions.

Turland saw one effort blocked six yards out on 68 minutes as he stabbed goalward after good work from Moore and Norman, the striker then flashed wide when one-on-one with Duncalf.

Harvey was next to try as momentum continued to swing Town’s way, his effort heroically blocked by Read, before the same player came within inches with a great effort from range that threatened the goal but it flew inches wide.

Duncalf then had to be at his best as first he denied Cherry with a brave save at the forward’s feet and then reacted brilliantly to tip Norman’s drive wide as the ball fell to him 18 yards out, Town booking the win despite the flurry of missed chances.

Town manager Kieron Neilson-Howes said: “No-one really controlled the game but when we got on the ball we created the better chances for sure and I suppose the only disappointment, other than the injuries we have picked up, was we only got the one.

“Sports are a young team with a few wise heads mixed in and I am sure will start to get some results across the season as they continue to gel.”

Town: Spann; Driver (Owens), Watters, Attree (Mitchell), Townley, Christopher, S Lambert, Norman, Turland, Harvey, Moore (Cherry).

Tom and Erin’s man of the match: Steve Lambert