DORCHESTER SPORTS RES 0

CHICKERELL UNITED 2

CHICKERELL United produced a clinical performance to edge past Dorchester Sports Reserves 2-0 and keep up their battle for fourth place.

The Chickens are now fifth, a point behind Blandford, who have played a game more than Chickerell.

Nick Etherington and Dylan Ellis bagged the goals for Shaun Murphy’s men, who had not played for three weeks leading up to the game.

Chickerell started brightly as Neil Dewey and Ellis were making a strong impact on the wings and causing problems.

Going forward Sports were dangerous but the visitors were the brighter initially.

After 20 minutes, a Chickerell corner was not quite cleared and Etherington chipped the ball over the Sports goalkeeper and into the net to hand the visitors the lead.

Etherington had a superb game throughout for the visitors, which was capped off with his early goal.

The Chickens then had a penalty shout when Matt Stickland was through on goal and was arguably taken down.

Yet Sports had a shout of their own when Ellis made a tough challenge inside the box.

Ellis rattled the hosts when doubling the lead as he took on a couple of players, cut inside and lashed the ball into the bottom right-hand corner after 65 minutes.

There was a penalty soon after when Ellis got into the box and was fouled. Jake McCarthy’s penalty was then saved after 70 minutes.

The home side tried to reply with a few half chances, while Stickland had two chances late on, but Chickerell saw the game out professionally.

Chickerell boss Murphy said: “I’m very happy, especially as we had not played for three weeks.

“A very good performance I thought, and a good game actually.

“Obviously we want to finish as strong as possible, as high as possible, we have got two games left, we have to try and win them both.

“Without having a game for three weeks, the effort and the performance was very good so we have got to try and finish the season that way.”

Chickerell travel to Wincanton Town Reserves on Saturday (3pm).

Chickerell United: Bickerstaff, Carter, Miller, James, McCarthy, Dewey (Heggie 75), Harvey, Etherington, Ackerman (Pryce 46), Ellis, Stickland