The Dorset Premier League promises an exciting weekend of football, with some important ties across the board. Football reporter Matt Dunster previews the weekend ahead.
Another thrilling round of fixtures lies ahead across Dorset this weekend.
Corfe Castle make the trip across Dorset to Weymouth based side Balti Sport. Balti will be hoping to bounce back from a disappointing result last weekend at the hands of a Westland Sports side who are in a rich vein of form. Basement side Corfe will be hoping last weekend’s well needed break will give them an advantage over a side also out of form and underachieving.
Title favourites Merley Cobham Sports will be looking to keep up with the rest of the top four as they welcome a Swanage Town & Herston side looking too build on their derby day massacre of Wareham. Merley will be particularly confident heading into the game after their excellent win in the Dorset Senior Trophy last weekend over Hamworthy Recreational.
Poole Borough will be hoping to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat when they welcome this season’s surprise package Sturminster Newton. Sturminster were blessed with a week off last weekend and will be hoping this well needed rest will give them a much needed boost as they continue their impressive title charge.
At the Camp and Satherley Stadium, Portland United Reserves will be looking to recover from a tough midweek defeat at the hands of Hamworthy Recreational when they welcome a Wareham Rangers side desperate for a much-needed victory. Both teams have young sides full of potential, in which the game is promising to be an extremely exciting contest.
A mid table clash takes place at Raleigh Grove as ninth placed Sherborne Town Reserves welcome seventh placed Bournemouth Sports. Bournemouth have been in some excellent form in recent weeks, however last week saw a dip at the hands of title chasing Dorchester Sports. They will be hoping the long trip to North Dorset won’t affect them and they can bounce back with a win whereas Sherborne will be looking to continue their excellent form having claimed 13 points from the last 15.
Hamworthy United Reserves come off the back of two victories as they welcome Holt United to The County Ground. Holt are currently winning the ‘best of the rest’ league table as they sit in sixth place and look to chase down runaway the top five.
Fixture of the Round
This weekends ‘fixture of the round’ comes from Magna Road as third place Westland Sports continue their title charge versus top of the league Hamworthy Recreation. The Rec are in some red-hot form with back to back 8-0 league victories against a young Portand side in the week and Poole Borough last weekend. Westlands will be looking to begin a good run of form and build on their impressive 6-2 victory at Balti Sports. The Yeovil based side will be wary of Hamworthy’s star striker Jack Slattery who has bagged 9 goals in the last 2 games.
Nerve Sport spoke to Hamworthy Recreation manager Kirk Grice, ahead of the tie: “I see this weekend being a fixture that could go either way especially as Westlands have strengthened an already strong side.
“They are always a tough, well organised side and over the last 4 or 5 seasons I have been at Rec, the spoils are evenly spread in the head-to-head.”