DORCHESTER SPORTS 5

Delves 11, Read 14, Godfrey 54, West 73, Rossiter 83

BRIDPORT RESERVES 1

Arnold 89

DORCHESTER Sports inflicted a heavy 5-1 defeat on Bridport Reserves in an action-packed Jewson Dorset Premier League tussle at the Avenue Stadium.

Jack Delves and Toby Read put Sports into a 2-0 half-time lead but Bridport always carried a menace in attack without gaining reward.

Alex Godfrey, sub Jamie West and Elliot Rossiter made it 5-0 before a controversial late consolation for Callum Arnold, with Sports claiming keeper Ash Green had control of the ball.

Bridport began well and manufactured the opening chance when Kriss Radivojsa glanced a free-kick wide of the far post in the second minute.

READ MORE: Mo Hereka joins Dorchester Sports from Bridport

Sports soon began to assert their authority, though, as Mo Hereka - making his debut against his former club - slotted wide from a one-on-one with the stationary Bees defence expecting the flag to go up.

Ashley James’ men did get the breakthrough in the 11th minute with a well-worked corner routine, though.

Godfrey planted a low pass into the area and Delves was there to ghost in and clip a first-time shot home at the near post.

Sports had two goals in three minutes when Hereka’s fellow debutant, Read, picked up possession 30 yards out and belted a screamer in off the woodwork for 2-0.

Read then tested Jordon Scadding with a powerful free-kick in the 16th minute but Bridport then began to come back into it.

Robin Jones won possession on the far side and flashed a shot across the face of goal before Radivojsa flicked another half-chance wide.

Jones skewed wide on the volley after home keeper Green’s punch fell straight to him, and Dom McAllister guided his own volley wide, again after Green chose to punch.

After those two excellent chances, Rossiter curled at Scadding for the hosts’ first shot in 21 minutes and McAllister directed the final opportunity of the half wide.

Bridport continued to threaten after the break as Radivojsa headed wide a clear chance at the near post.

Rossiter was then denied by Scadding in a one-on-one at the other end but it mattered little as Hereka set up Godfrey seconds later, the Portland striker emphatically finding the net from 12 yards.

West replaced Read on 58 minutes as Weedon pulled a 30-yard shot wide and Baggs then tried his luck with a magnificent effort from inside his own half that had Green, and the goal, just beaten.

Green had to react sharply to tip round a deflected Baggs drive on 64 minutes before Dan Elliott was lucky to escape a red card for a very poor tackle on Rossiter.

Tempers flared after this incident, including a brief argument between bosses Ash James and Adam Herring, and Toby Mann had a goal disallowed for offside, sparking another shoving match.

Green then preserved his clean sheet with a flying stop from Elliott and his save proved crucial as Sports went up the other end and scored on the break.

Hereka led the attack and Sports found West in oceans of space on the right, allowing the forward to cut in and slam past Scadding in the 73rd minute.

Ten minutes later and it was five as a quality defence-splitting pass from Delves set Rossiter away to fool Scadding with a flicked finish.

Bridport deservedly pulled a goal back in the 89th minute through Arnold but in controversial circumstances as an irate Green felt he had the ball under his control.

Sports were good value for the win, though, and ensured they drew level on points with pacesetters Sturminster Newton who lead thanks to a superior goal difference.

Birthday boy James told Echosport: “A perfect day, the best performance of the season. I thought from the moment we kicked off we looked really up for it.

“We took our goals well and in the end it should’ve been quite a few more but we take the 5-1 and we move on to Sturminster Newton which is obviously a top-of-the-table clash.”

On the potential red card, James added: “It’s the worst tackle I’ve seen for a long time.

“I don’t like it, how the officials between them can’t work out it’s a red card is ridiculous in my view.

“Someone’s going to get seriously hurt. There’s no attempt on the ball and if he gets through, he’s scored. He should’ve been sent off.”

Bridport Reserves’ boss Adam Herring saw the incident differently.

He said: “To be honest, tackles like that happen. If they give red cards for tackles like that they’d give them all the time.

“He lunged slightly but for me I felt it was a yellow card. It’s football, there’s going to be tackles.”

And James then had his say on Arnold’s goal, saying: “That’s a foul as well. It’s been kicked out of (Green’s) hands.

“That’s a shame that we’ve not kept a clean sheet because Ash has played really well in goal.”

Sports and Bridport face Sturminster Newton and Sherborne Town Reserves respectively on Saturday, January 7.

Sports: Green, Bessant, Browne, O’Shaughnessy, J Steele (Heal 81), Samways (Taylor 72), Delves, Rossiter, Read (West 58), Hereka, Godfrey. Subs not used: Jacques, Sheehy.

Bees: Jo Scadding, Elliott, Grace, Mansley, Baggs, Ja Scadding (A Steele 61), McAllister, Mann, Jones (Brook 74), Weedon, Radivojsa (Arnold 64). Subs not used: Strelley, Day