STURMINSTER MARSHALL 0

DORCHESTER SPORTS 9

DORCHESTER Sports are on cloud nine after thrashing Sturminster Marshall 9-0 on the opening day of the Dorset Premier League season.

Sports could not have imagined a better start to the 2023/24 season and, after an even first 25 minutes, they cut loose.

Owen Peart pounced to score twice after defensive errors, the second a mistake from Stur when playing out from the back.

Sports put together a vibrant team move for 3-0, Dan Sheehy finishing off.

New signing Carl Edwards grabbed a debut goal before the break as Stur, whose young but talented squad included 13 DPL debutants, fell asleep at a throw-in.

READ MORE: Dorchester Sports seal new signings

Despite going 4-0 down, Stur played some attractive football in the second half before more mistakes proved costly.

Josh Camp and Sheehy added further goals, in between Alex Godfrey completing a second-half hat-trick.

Sports’ boss Ash James said: “It couldn’t have gone any better.

“We scored six goals against a good Beer side, apart from conceding six at the same time.

“We’ve put together quite a good strike force this season so I’m pretty sure there are goals there.

“But to win 9-0 away from home on the opening day of the season, against any side it would be a good result.”

Sports now go into a derby at Portland United Reserves tomorrow evening (7.45pm).

James has last season’s result, where Sports lost 3-2 after being 2-0 up, fresh in his mind.

He added: “That pretty much summed up our season, 2-0 up then two-all. We probably had about 15 chances to score the winner, didn’t, and then they score in the 93rd minute.

“Hopefully, we can improve on that this year. When we do go 2-0 or 3-0 up, we’ve got to see out games a lot better.

“We lost 12 points last year from the 90th minute onwards, which isn’t good enough and something we’ve got to address.

“They’ll 100 per cent want to beat us and we’re under no illusions how tough it will be. If we get anything more than we did last year it will be a massive bonus.”

Darren Watts (hip) is out but Sports welcome back Sam Swain and Elliott Brown.

Sports: Hutchings, Pratt, Radivojsa (Tennant 70), Taylor, O’Shaughnessy, Watts (Samways 20), O Peart (Read 65), Edwards, Camp, Sheehy (Hewitt 65), Godfrey. Sub not used: Green.