BALTI SPORTS 1 DORCHESTER SPORTS 1

BALTI Sports and Dorchester Sports battled out an entertaining 1-1 draw in their Dorset Premier League derby at Weymouth College.

The hosts enjoyed the best of the first half and duly took the lead via the penalty spot in front of a record crowd of 132.

Dan Peart was adjudged to have taken out Balti’s Sammy Nichols in the box and Ricky Lane converted his fourth goal in two games.

Balti’s Che Curran then had an effort miraculously blocked on the line at point-blank range before Josh Burton hit the crossbar.

But Dorchester Sports turned the tables in the second half after a tactical reshuffle. Balti failed to defend a free-kick, leading to a reaction save from Andy Nott with Adam Steele pouncing to bury the rebound in to the roof of the net.

Ashley James’ men were seeking to break a hoodoo at their arch-rivals and had numerous chances to grab the win, striker Alex Stafie seeing a free-kick saved and later hitting the crossbar with a header.

Jamie Samways then dragged a shot wide from 10 yards in stoppage-time as both sides settled for a draw.

Balti boss Marco Nott told Echosport: “It was a really tense, high-standard game. The tempo was so high, it was a typical derby. No team wanted to lose.

“To be honest, I think a draw was a fair result, it was quite an even game. We had the better of the first half of they had the second.”

Opposing boss James blamed himself for a poor first half: “I got it badly, badly wrong from the start but we changed it at half-time and went back to our usual formation.

“We had three or four chances at the end, it just wasn’t to be. On balance it’s probably a fair result.”

Balti: A Nott, Curran, S Walker, Burton, Taylor, Lane, Nichols, Devaney, S Zima (Dean 80), Andrews (Moore 75), Baker (Stavrianos 70). Subs not used: M Nott, Gay

Dorchester Sports: Weeks, Peart (Quinton 80), Hill, Smith, P Thomas, A Gould, G Will, Samways, Ross (Rawlings 70), Stafie, A Steele (O Lowes 70). Subs not used: W Gould, Wash