HAMWORTHY UNITED RES 1

BALTI SPORTS 1

BALTI Sports’ hopes of landing the Dorset Premier League title took a hammer blow on Saturday, as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Hamworthy United Reserves.

The league leaders are currently five points clear at the top of the table at present but have played five games more than second-placed Holt United, who they lost to a week previously.

Manager Marco Nott was left highly frustrated by only picking up a point at the County Ground and admitted his side’s challenge for the league crown has “pretty much gone”.

“It was very frustrating really,” he told Echosport.

“We went there to win the game and there was no reason why we shouldn’t have won it.

“Confidence isn’t sky high at the moment. We haven’t won in three and there is a couple of players out there hiding I think.

“Now the league has pretty much gone, I think people have dropped off a little bit and lost that sharpness.”

After being rocked the previous week in their crunch defeat to the Bulls, Nott stressed the importance of getting an early breakthrough against the Hammers.

But their opportunity to do so went begging, as Balti’s Charlie Kenderdine saw his spot-kick saved after 15 minutes.

Kenderdine also hit the crossbar and Josh Houghton hit the post in a first half where Sports squandered a number of opportunities to take the advantage.

Danny Andrews and Houghton then had further chances after the break which went begging, before the away side were hit by a huge blow.

A corner swung into the back post by the Hammers was headed home by Sam Carter to make it 1-0 to the hosts.

Balti did rally and managed to get themselves back on level terms to salvage a point. That came through a penalty call the boss admitted was “lucky” for his side to be awarded, for handball in the Hammers’ box.

Andrews stepped up on this occasion and found the net, but that was not the end of the striker’s eventful afternoon.

He was given a straight red card late on for a challenge on the Hamworthy keeper.”

Nott added: “We massively dropped off in the second half, it was massively disappointing.

“I don’t mind people missing chances but the one thing that really gets me is when people don’t put a shift in. There is no excuse for that, I wasn’t very happy about it at all.”

Balti: A Nott, Batchelor (Burton), Anderson, Proffitt (Roberts), Pearce, Devaney, Kenderdine, Zima, Preece, Andrews, Houghton. Sub not used: M Nott