BROADSTONE 1

CHICKERELL UNITED 2

CHICKERELL kept their place at the top of the Dorset Senior League with a well fought 2-1 win against Broadstone in the Dorset Senior League thanks to goals from Matt Harvey and an Aiden Cuddy own goal despite Aaron Dodd scoring for the home side.

The Chickens proved an attacking threat throughout the match despite tricky conditions and having a weakened side due to a lot of absences.

Chickerell started the match strongly with a superb first half performance and kept Richard Munday in the Broadstone goal busy, hitting the crossbar and the post in the first half.

The pressure told as 30 minutes in a long throw from Greg Collins saw Harvey head past Munday into the top corner to put Chickerell in front.

The Chickens carried on their pressure after scoring without further reward as the two teams went in level at the break.

The home side came out strongly in the second half, with a strong 20 minute spell during which they evened the scores.

Broadstone equalised when Dodd tapped in from a Martyn Barnett corner which set up a frantic final 20 minutes with both sides looking for a winning goal.

Chickerell took the winner in the 70th minute when Matt Stickland cross the ball into the box but Munday palmed it out to Aiden Cuddy whose attempted clearance worked its way into the back of the net, with Chickerell players lurking nearby.

Broadstone tried to respond and went very close with a late strike that forced Ian Bickerstaff in the Chickerell goal into a superb stop but the match ended 2-1 to Chickerell.

Manager Shaun Murphy said: "I am very happy, considering we have not played since December 16. It was a great result really.

"We had a lot of chances throughout the game, we just thought it was going to be one of those days."

Murphy thought that a win was a fair result and praised the efforts of the goalkeepers saying: "Both keepers were quite good, their keeper is probably the best keeper in the league he is really good."

As a result of the win Chickerell stay at the top of the table, one point ahead of Corfe Castle who beat Cranborne 6-0.

Murphy added: "With Corfe Castle's result at the weekend it made the victory even better."

Chickerell are next in action in the league when they face Dorchester Sports at home (2pm).

Chickerell: Bickerstaff, Collins, Coles, Rogers, Sandeman, Stewart, McCarthy, Harvey, Hastie, Stickland, Welch. Subs not used: Murphy, Talbot.