HAMWORTHY UNITED RES 3

BALTI SPORTS 3

BALTI Sports rocked Hamworthy United by earning a 3-3 draw in their Dorset Premier League battle despite being 3-0 down after 88 minutes.

Balti’s stunning comeback looked extremely unlikely as the Hammers were 2-0 up at half-time following a dominant half of football.

Harrison Wallis kept Balti in the game with a number of impressive saves but he could do nothing about the Hammers’ first goal.

Balti conceded an interception and Hamworthy smuggled the ball to the speedy Lennon Claydon to outpace his man and beat Wallis on 33 minutes.

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Neemo Nixon needed only four more minutes to double the hosts' advantage, arrowing a free-kick into the top corner to delight the home faithful.

Hamworthy looked set to celebrate the opening of their new stand in emphatic style on 71 minutes, Nixon again slamming home a free-kick after Claydon was uprooted near the D.

But Balti were by now gradually asking more questions of the home defence and had already worked Thomas Percival-Smith into a good save from a Stef Stavrianos free-kick before they pulled a goal back in the 88th minute.

Balti sub Ethan Clarke got the goal, pouncing on a poor clearance from a corner for 3-1.

In many matches, his strike would only have been a consolation but he grabbed a second just two minutes later to really put the cat amongst the pigeons with an opportunistic hooked finish.

And in stoppage-time, against all the odds, Balti conjured up a memorable equaliser as Stavrianos charged in at the back post to nod home Louis Gear’s superb cross for 3-3 and spark wild celebrations in the corner.

The result keeps Balti within three points of the Hammers with three games in hand on the County Ground side.

Speaking to Echosport after an improbable point, Balti boss Marco Nott said: “It was crazy really, a remarkable turnaround.

“The game looked dead and buried but absolutely full credit to the lads. It was outstanding how they kept going to the end.

“They deserved it for their efforts but Hamworthy might think differently.”

Balti now turn their attentions to Bournemouth Sports away at the earlier time of 1pm, and hope to finally break their winless run at Chapel Gate.

Nott added: “I really want to win there. When it was Parley and now Bournemouth Sports, I’ve never won there.

“I wouldn’t mind getting that monkey off my back a little bit, but it’s going to be an extremely tough game. Hopefully we can continue off the last five minutes of that last game and get a win if we can.”

Marcus Biles, Jake Hawker, Harry Rupp and Sami Nichols all return but Derek Wall (knee) is out, along with the unavailable Carl McClements and Aston Butcher.

Balti: Walls, Jarvis, Butcher, Hansford, Allison, James (Clarke 70), Stavrianos, Gear, Batchelor, Summers, Chambers. Sub not used: M Nott.