MERE TOWN 5

Patterson (4), Samways

BALTI SPORTS 4

Nichols, Walker, Lock, Andrews

BALTI Sports’ boss Marco Nott admitted his depleted side’s 5-4 loss at Mere Town was “heartbreaking” after seeing a 4-0 lead evaporate in their Dorset Premier League encounter.

Sports had looked set to record a rare away win when Sammy Nichols, Scott Walker, Shane Lock and Danny Andrews netted for Balti in a superb first-half performance.

But after Joe Patterson scored either side of half-time to make it 4-2 there was still no sign of the collapse to follow with the scoreline stagnant for an elongated spell.

However, with 15 minutes to go, Mere’s Jamie Samways scored from long-range and the Balti resistance was obliterated soon afterwards, the Weymouth-based side seeing Patterson add two more quick goals to surrender what had been a commanding position.

Speaking to Echosport after the harrowing defeat, Nott conceded that his team had dared to feel the “relief” of ending their away woes at the half-time interval.

He said: “We had so many players out but we had a brilliant first half. We pressed their back four and we could have had five or six at half-time.

“In the changing room we sensed that relief of finally getting that win and then when they scored straight after half-time it was a sense of ‘here we go again’.

“I got nervous and the lads got nervous, it was heartbreaking. They scored the winner with one minute to go.”

Talking through the goals, Nott felt Town’s final two were “bad goals to concede”.

He said: “We had two goals from corners. Sammy poked in from 12 yards out, then Scott headed home.

“The third goal was Shane running through one-on-one and coolly slotting it in. The fourth was Danny hustling the goalkeeper and he kicked it against him. It went out wide and he had the composure to hit it over his head and into the corner.”

He added: “They made it 4-1 just before half-time. Then they brought the ball down and our keeper took the striker down for a penalty. We saved the penalty and they scored from the corner.

“It was 4-2 for quite a while but with about 15 minutes to go their lad scored a screamer from 25 yards out like a Paul Scholes volley, straight in the roof of the net.

“They had their tails up after that and then there were two bad goals to concede.”

Balti: Jones, Walker, Anderson, Burton, L Taylor, Nichols, McClements, Roberts, Andrews, Lock (Dean 75), Zima (Brown 70). Subs not used: J Taylor, M Nott

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