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Borough produced a clinical display of finishing to defeat the Bournemouth League side who knocked out Dorchester United in the previous round.

It was, however, the home side who had the best of the early exchanges, as Borough took time to adjust to both Dorset Knob’s physical style and a strong wind directly against them. Dorset Knob could have taken the lead after 7 minutes when they beat the offside trap, but Dan Burton did well to save with his legs.

An even game continued until the 15th minute when Borough took the lead. Dan Cockwell sent Alan Fooks clear on the right wing, and a precision pass set up Scott Smith who slotted the ball home.

Ben Thompson went close to increasing the lead a minute later when Paul Morrell played a short free kick and he hammered a shot just wide from 25 yards out. Dave Holdroyd also had two chances but both were saved by the keeper.

The game was not all one way and Dorset Knob were passing the ball around well, looking for an equaliser. Their best chance came when Burton dropped the ball under pressure, but Tony Whitfield was on hand to block the resultant shot.

Borough began to take control as the game wore on. Dorset Knob’s keeper made an excellent double save from Alex Gunn and Smith on 28 minutes. However, he was unable to do the same a minute later when he could only block a shot from James Russell and Smith was on hand to bury the rebound.

Smith completed his hat-trick on 32 minutes with a similar build up to his first goal. After a battle on the centre line Dan Cockwell came away with the ball and knocked it into the path of Fooks on the right. He turned it inside to Smith who took the ball past the keeper and slotted home from a tight angle.

With the pressure off, Borough began to play the ball around well. Thompson and Buckfield had chances before, on 45 minutes, Russell charged down a clearance from a Dorset Knob defender and was first to the ball to slide it to Fooks in the box who scored with ease.

With the Referee playing injury time, Russell's goalbound shot was only parried by the keeper, and he was unable to clear the ball before Gunn got a foot in to score Borough’s fifth goal of the half

HT 0-5

Dorset Knob changed their formation after the break in an attempt to reduce the deficit, but it left a lot a space for Poole to play the ball around. Russell put a shot past the post on 50 minutes, before five minutes later, Gunn crossed from the right into the 6 yard box, where Smith touched the ball back to Fooks who drove it home.

Russell produced another shot which went just wide of the post before, on 64 minutes, a Buckfield pass found him on the left wing, and his low cross was tucked in by Gunn on the near post.

Borough’s final goal came on 68 minutes starting with a superb 25 yard pass from Cockwell, which dropped in front of Fooks and he delicately chipped over the keeper and into the net for his third.

Borough’s defence was now easily marshalling any attacks from the opposition. On 78 minutes Gunn should have had his hat-trick but he was brought down outside the area with only the keeper to beat. The guilty defender was sent off, and Thompson’s resultant dipping free kick struck the cross bar.

With 5 minutes to go, and Dorset Knob scored a soft consolation goal, when the Borough defence failed to clear a high ball and it dropped into the net.

Poole Borough : Dan Burton, Dan Cockwell (Paul Arnold 84), Ben Thompson. Alan Whitfield, Paul Morrell, Dave Holdroyd, Alex Gunn, Winston Buckfield, Scott Smith (Matt Burton 56), Alan Fooks, James Russell.