DORCHESTER SPORTS 2

CHRISTCHURCH 4

DORCHESTER Sports bowed out of the FA Vase at the second qualifying round stage despite a valiant effort in a 4-2 loss to Christchurch at the Clayson Stadium.

Competing in the competition for the first time in their history, Sports earned the chance to go up against their Sydenhams Wessex Premier Division opponents with a 1-0 win over Swanage in the previous round.

Despite there being a two-tier difference between the sides, Sports were competitive for large periods of the game, although the Priory did dominate the first half.

Sports’ keeper Ashley Weeks was called upon to make two excellent saves but was powerless to prevent the visitors taking a 1-0 lead in the 45th minute.

Christchurch rained a cross down into the Sports’ box and Harvey Wright was on hand to head past Weeks.

An enlarged first-half stoppage-time, due to Sports’ full-back Ashley Smith’s substitution for concussion, bore two further goals in a hectic period.

The Dorchester side equalised when Adam Steele crossed for Darren Watts to fire home, but Wright notched his brace in the 48th minute, smashing home into the top corner from 18 yards out.

After three goals in three minutes, Sports went in 2-1 down but were soon back on level terms as popular Romanian striker Alex Stafie swept home Paul Hill’s cross for 2-2. Christchurch battled back and led for a third time when Max Wilcock headed home a corner in the 58th minute.

Sports were unruffled and began to dominate, creating four clear chances from which they crucially failed to score.

Stafie and Watts were both denied from range, while Jamie Quinton missed from close range before Oli Lowes squandered a golden one-on-one chance.

Those misses were to prove costly as Nick Swann settled the tie in the 78th minute, rifling into the top corner.

With legs tired from a superb effort, Sports conceded a penalty when Dan Peart tripped a Christchurch forward. However, Weeks guessed right to smartly save and keep the score at 4-2.

Home boss Ashley James said: “We pushed them really close but unfortunately fell a bit short at the end.

“It was a great effort and performance. On another day it could’ve been different. It was a battle, they were a big side we’re a small side and our lads stood up to everything.

“Unfortunately we just couldn’t get the lead. It may have been different if we’d managed to get our noses in front. We kept coming from behind but the key was they took their chances and we didn’t.”

Sports: Weeks, Peart, A Gould (P Thomas 75), Hill, Smith (W Gould 10), Samways, Watts, G Will, A Steele, Lowes, Stafie (Quinton 75). Sub not used: Churchill

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