MERLEY COBHAM SPORTS 2

DORCHESTER SPORTS 2

DORCHESTER Sports scored two equalisers in an entertaining 2-2 draw at long-time rivals Merley Cobham Sports in the Dorset Premier League.

The performance was a vast improvement on the 6-4 defeat at Holt United in midweek, with Sports’ defence having solidified a great deal.

Merley hit the front with only six minutes on the clock, Awwal Abubakar was found wide on the right from a corner and his cross was stabbed home by Mike Trim.

Cancelling each other out in the middle of the park and both defences dealing with any forward threats, Joel Hewitt broke the trend, finding space coming in from the left in the 33rd minute only to shoot tamely at keeper James Langdon.

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However, Sports won a corner in the 34th minute, Owen Peart put the ball into the mix and after a scramble Hewitt was first to react and chested the ball into the net for 1-1.

Kingsley Eze-Sunday fired wide of the far post for Merley in the final chance before half-time.

Merley looked a little sharper at the beginning of the second half and Joss Holford brought the best out of Sports’ keeper Sam Duncalf in the 47th minute, the keeper pushing Holford’s shot superbly on to the post and to relative safety.

But Merley retook the lead in the 52nd minute, Eze-Sunday knocking a fine ball into the path of Holford and the midfielder finished with aplomb from 15 yards giving Duncalf no chance.

Sports responded by taking charge of the game, although they had to survive half chances for James Cherrett and Owen Reynolds on the counter.

The goal of the game came in the 74th minute when Peart intercepted a poor clearance some 35 yards out, his first touch was sublime and he struck a fine low drive into the far corner of the net with Langdon caught out of position.

At 2-2, it was game on but the game petered out to a draw, both teams deserving of a point.

Sports’ boss Ashley James told Echosport: “Probably a fair result, I thought it was a good performance from us away from home.

“Wednesday was difficult against Holt, losing 6-4 at home, so we asked the lads to be more together and tighter at the back.

“We didn’t give them too many chances other than the two goals. It was a much better performance considering it took a lot out of us on Wednesday.”

James’ men return to action at Swanage on Saturday (3pm).

Dorch Sports: Duncalf, Steele (Groves 65), Sands, Streamer, O’Shaughnessy (Taylor 70), Brumble (Coombs 65), Watts (Browne 80), O Peart, Godfrey, Hewitt, Sheehy (Read 70).