CORFE CASTLE 2

CHICKERELL UNITED 1

CHICKERELL United conceded a late goal to lose a must-win encounter 2-1 against Corfe Castle, who were consequently crowned Dorset Senior League champions.

Goals from Dan Ricketts and Brendon Flockton did the damage for Corfe, while Matt Stickland, the league’s top scorer, had equalised for Chickerell.

Chickerell will now either finish second or third in the table, depending on the result of Portland United Reserves against Corfe on Saturday but it is out of the Chickens’ hands as they have finished their season.

It was a close match between the two sides as chances were few and far between during the first half.

There was a moment of controversy when, after a foul on Chickerell, an advantage was played but Chickens’ manager Shaun Murphy felt aggrieved that play was subsequently called back for the free-kick later on, when Stickland was on the ball.

The two sides went in at half-time with the score goalless, with neither side able to conjure up a real chance.

In the second half, Corfe took the lead after 65 minutes through Ricketts to send a potential hammer blow to Chickerell’s title hopes.

This came after a Chickens’ corner was caught by the Corfe goalkeeper, who kicked it downfield to Ricketts and a mix-up between Ben Sandeman and Ian Bickerstaff allowed Ricketts to head over.

After the goal, Chickerell rallied and tried to get back into the game and an equalising goal soon came.

A free-kick 20 yards out on the left-hand side from Steve Welch took a deflection, which landed for Stickland to fire into the left-hand corner from 12 yards.

However, disaster struck late on with the game opening up with both sides desperate for the win.

A Chickerell throw-in was aimed back towards Bickerstaff, who cleared the ball away but only as far as a Corfe player, who got forward and crossed to Flockton to steer in.

Speaking to Echosport after the game, Murphy spoke of his disappointment at the manner of the loss.

He said: “We all went in a bit disappointed, at the end to concede such a goal at such a late time in the game.

“Overall if you had said that we would still be in to win the league in the last game of the season at the start of the season I would have taken that all day long.

“Personally this season has been a fantastic season.”

Chickerell: Bickerstaff, Miller, Miles, Rogers, Cracknell (Sandeman 60), Hansford, Harvey, Etherington, Dewey (Voss 70), Stickland, Welch (McCarthy 80)

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