BOURNEMOUTH SPORTS 2

DORCHESTER SPORTS 2

(Match abandoned in 96th minute)

DORCHESTER Sports conceded an equaliser deep into stoppage time at Bournemouth Sports before their Dorset Premier League match was abandoned in the 96th minute.

Match officials took the decision, highly unusual at such an advanced stage in the match, due to player conduct.

The incident is now under investigation by the relevant league bodies, the result of which is likely to be known in late November. It is unclear whether the fixture will be replayed.

Bournemouth nearly scored in the first minute as striker Madison Wilkin was repelled by away keeper Nick Hutchings.

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Dorchester Sports responded superbly and were 2-0 up when Joel Hewitt’s brace, coming in the space of six minutes, handed them a useful cushion.

Hewitt’s first goal came on the counter-attack as the visitors cleared a corner and set off upfield, Owen Peart’s scything through ball allowing the striker to slot home confidently for 1-0.

On 35 minutes, Hewitt doubled Sports’ lead when he received Alex Godfrey’s pass, cut inside and slammed home past keeper Tom Straetmans.

However, the hosts got themselves back into it before half-time by winning a penalty for an alleged shirt pull by Dan Sheehy on Jamie Trimble in the box.

That enabled striker Sam Darlow to beat Hutchings from the spot.

After the break, Hewitt was denied his hat-trick by a flying save from Straetmans before Peart forced another top stop from a free-kick 20 yards out.

With a third goal elusive, Bournemouth Sports were handed seven added minutes to salvage a point and they did so in the 96th minute through Darlow’s clinical finish from Karol Borowski’s pass.

Ash Smith was then shown a yellow for dissent and a straight red card soon afterwards, before play restarted.

Then came the swift abandonment with the officials displeased as to the conduct of a minority on the pitch, meaning the outcome of the fixture will be decided at a league management meeting next month.

Speaking to Echosport, Dorchester Sports’ coach Simon Linard said: “It was quite a bizarre incident. You think you’ve seen everything in football and then this happens.

“It was a weird scenario at that stage in the game. They’d equalised, we kicked off and the game was abandoned in the blink of an eye.”

Linard felt the penalty decision was soft, adding: “It was a busy box and the fact nobody appealed from their team made it a strange decision I think.

“The referee said it was a shirt pull, so that’s what it was. If we came in at 2-0 then it’s a slightly different start to the second half.”

Dorchester Sports next visit Sherborne Town Reserves in the league on Saturday (3pm).