SWANAGE TOWN & HERSTON 0

DORCHESTER SPORTS 3

DORCHESTER Sports extended to four games their winning Jewson Dorset Premier League run with a 3-0 success at Swanage Town & Herston.

Sports came to Days Park with just six points separating themselves in fifth and leaders Hamworthy Rec.

And, while Rec dismantled Bridport Reserves 8-1, Sports held up their end of the bargain by effectively claiming victory over Swans in the first 27 minutes.

Louis Hankin, who joined Sports this season, bagged his second goal for the club to get the ball rolling.

Darren Watts chipped in a free-kick and Shaun Bessant had the presence of mind to head back across goal for Hankin to fire home on nine minutes.

READ MORE: Dorchester Sports 5-0 Poole Town U23s - match report

Hankin turned provider on 17 minutes when his pinpoint diagonal ball picked out striker Alex Godfrey who volleyed a spectacular low drive into the bottom corner.

Liam O’Shaughnessy, who is set to sign dual forms with Bridport, then continued his stunning start to life at Sports with an assist to go with his tally of two goals in three games.

O’Shaughnessy went past two players before slotting captain Darren Watts in for the third goal, calmly caressed into the bottom corner.

Chances were at a premium thereafter for both sides, as Hankin narrowly failed to connect on the stretch from another Watts free-kick.

Swans rallied after the break through substitute Danny Woods.

However, they found a Sports side determined to cling on to a clean sheet as prolific striker Paul Best was denied by a superb recovering tackle.

Speaking to Echosport, away boss Ashley James said: “The first-half performance was very good, probably the best we’ve played all season.

“To be 3-0 up at Swanage doesn’t happen very often. We played them off the park, really. It’s the only way to describe it.

“That’s the pleasing aspect and then the game management second half to sit in and defend and not concede was also very positive.

“It’s another really good job done away from home. We’re still in the pack, so it’s all we can wish for.”

Asked if it had been a conscious decision to adopt a more defensive approach after half-time, James said: “Well, they improved.

“We gave so much in the first half that we had to make some substitutes. It was never going to be an easy second half.

“After the first half we were happy with that. It was nice to see we were able to dig in.

“We had to make a couple of substitutes at the end and with missing quite a few, it was a really pleasing afternoon. It’s not an easy place to go.”

Sports: Hutchings, J Steele, A Gould, Bessant, Hankin, Symes (Tennant 65), Watts, Voss (Oates 75), Godfrey, Brumble (Harvey 75), O’Shaughnessy.