BALTI SPORTS 2

BRIDPORT RESERVES 3

BALTI Sports coughed up a 2-1 lead with five minutes remaining as Bridport Reserves’ star Riley Weedon scored a hat-trick to steal all three points at Weymouth College.

With Balti having only lost once in 12 previous Dorset Premier League home games, the hosts were heavy favourites against the division’s 12th-placed side.

On a boggy pitch, Marco Nott’s men duly raced into an early lead when Carl McClements swivelled and smacked a left-footed shot into the top corner for 1-0.

Balti missed chances to extend their lead as Ethan Devaney was denied by Bees’ gloveman Jordon Scadding, while McClements and Sammy Nichols both shot wide.

After riding their luck, the Bees equalised as Weedon blasted in a 20-yard free-kick which caught goalkeeper Nott out, the player-manager getting two hands to the effort but failing to keep it out.

Balti regained the ascendancy just before half-time when veteran Ryan Dovell’s pinpoint cross invited Nichols to slam a volley past Scadding.

Nott pushed a Weedon free-kick around the post before Nichols was guilty of wasting a glorious one-on-one chance, opting to lob Scadding only for the young keeper to fend off the danger.

Liam Taylor then broke through but his square ball for McClements drifted just behind the midfielder and his attempt skewed off Scadding before Devaney hit the rebound off the outside of the post from a tight angle.

The turning point came when Charlie Kenderdine was harshly adjudged to have handled a cross inside the area, leaving Weedon to beat Nott from the spot.

Balti were fuming and Kenderdine, booked for his troubles, then deliberately tripped an opponent to halt a break, leading to his first Balti red card.

Despite playing with 10 men, Balti maintained a high defensive line and were rumbled when Weedon sprung the offside trap before rounding Nott to send home a dramatic stoppage-time winner.

“We were completely rattled from the penalty and just lost the plot,” Nott admitted to Echosport.

“We just never looked like losing that game in a month of Sundays, but they had a young side and worked continuously in that second half.

“They probably deserved a draw, I don’t think they deserved a win. They managed to nick the win and I’m sure they’re delighted.

“I don’t think we did enough to win, we were so wasteful in front of goal and were our own worst enemies.

“That game should’ve been put to bed with the chances we missed.”

Balti visit Corfe Castle on Saturday (2pm).

Balti: M Nott, O’Shaughnessy, Anderson, S Walker, Zima, Dovell (Lane 60), Kenderdine, Nichols, Devaney, Taylor (Drummond 70), McClements (Stavrianos 75).

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