PORTLAND UNITED 2 MERE TOWN 1

GARY Bailey saw his Portland United charges return to the summit of the Dorset Premier League with a gutsy win over Mere Town at Grove Corner.

With former league leaders Merley Cobham Sports enduring a torrid afternoon at home in a 6-0 defeat to fellow title rivals Hamworthy Recreation, the Blues took their opportunity to go top with a second-half brace from Adam Linaker.

Bailey told Echosport: “It was an important weekend to get a result because someone was obviously going to drop points somewhere in that Merley-Hamworthy fixture.

“It was important that we didn’t slip up and let that opportunity that was going to come our way pass us by.

“We stressed that to the players before the game.

“We go out to win every game anyway but there is nothing worse than coming in and seeing your closest rivals drop points and you have let them off the hook.

“From that point of view we got the job done in what was a difficult game.

“Mere are a decent side, they play very well for each other and it wasn’t a game for the purist.”

After a frantic opening 10 minutes which saw the Blues miss two golden chances and the visitors fail to put away an opportunity on the break, the game settled down with the island club seeing more of the possession.

But after going in goalless at half-time, Bailey urged his side to find the opening strike – and he got an instant reaction.

Just one minute following the interval, Linaker stabbed the ball home from a goalmouth scramble after a corner.

Mere refused to lie down however, and moments later it was 1-1 when the Blues failed to defend a cross from out wide and were duly punished.

The away side then had their tails up, but the league’s defending champions showed their class on the counter.

Ed Bastick’s surging run opened up space for him to roll the ball back to Linaker to double his tally for the afternoon.

The Blues had to endure a nervy final five minutes and called on keeper Warren Boyt to make a point-blank save from a header to secure the victory.

“We were hanging on and I was relieved when the final whistle went,” Bailey added.

“I got more pleasure and more satisfaction as a manager digging out a tough 2-1 win with a sense of achievement from the players than watching them just run riot over somebody.

“It showed good character from the lads.”

Blues: Boyt, Bessant, Whyton, Carmichael, B Doidge, Smith, Halloran, Bastick, Price, Clarke (May 25), Linaker (Heal 75).

Match ball sponsor: Steve Cribb

Programme sponsor: BMWeymouth, Charlestown Garage