CORFE MULLEN UNITED 1

CHICKERELL UNITED 0

CHICKERELL United suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 1-0 at Corfe Mullen United in the Dorset League.

Shaun Murphy’s Chickens had won all of their previous four games, but went down to a freakish 20th-minute goal from Dave Johnston.

Speaking to Echosport, Murphy said United lacked “quality and composure” in the final third.

“It had to happen, you can’t win them all. Personally I think we lacked a bit of quality and composure in the final third. Some of our decision making was a bit wrong.

“The game was a bit stop-start and we couldn’t get any rhythm going. They scored a goal where the keeper’s gone to clear it and it’s hit their lad straight in the belly and it went straight over the keeper.

“He closed it down really quickly, there’s nothing you can do about it,” he said.

Murphy also felt that Corfe had a “gameplan” that worked for them.

He said: “They did defend well to be fair to them. They got everybody behind the ball. They had a gameplan and it probably worked for them.

“To be honest we were three or four players short, but the lads that stepped in haven’t done anything wrong.

“Steve Welch was missing and I think if we had him it might have been a different story. We’ll try and put it right next week.”

Chickens: Brown, Collins, Harvey, Rogers, Richards, Dewey (Sandeman 75), Stewart (Talbot 60), Etherington, Handsford, Hillier (Ryan 65)