Poole Borough Football Club

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Add your comments on the match.

Paul Getley
Excellent battling performance.

Adam Nash
Second penalty save in succession.

Borough Scorers : Scott Smith 65.
Borough Man of The Match : Paul Getley

Borough responded to manager Pete Morrell's call for consistency over the full 90 minutes with a focused and hard-fought victory to erase the memory of their poor performance in the reverse fixture at the end of December.

The early exchanges saw few chances at either end, but Borough's Gary Fooks set the game alight in 26 minutes with a quickly taken free-kick, which the visiting keeper did well to tip onto the crossbar.

Borough keeper Adam Nash saved well after Sherborne benefited from a defensive mistake on 32 minutes and a minute later did enough to force a visiting striker to shoot wide in a one on one situation. Fooks came close again on 40 minutes after an Alex Gunn cross was flicked on by Scott Smith, but the keeper diverted the downward header over the bar.

On 42 minutes another Sherborne attack resulted in them being awarded a penalty when Sean Hebdon brought down a visiting forward just inside the box. However, after a delay when the penalty taker was booked for moving the ball after the referee had placed it on the spot, Nash got down quickly to block the kick.

HT 0-0.

After the break it was Sherborne who failed to maintain their first half performance and Borough created early chances for Fooks, whose shot was hacked clear by the keeper and Smith who headed just wide.

Borough pressure was finally rewarded on 65 minutes when Dan Herrington sent over a superb diagonal cross into the area and Smith arrived at the far post to convert low to the keepers left.

Borough continued to press and a Tony White header from a corner went narrowly wide while Smith nearly got a second with a shot from a Gunn right wing cross which the retreating keeper managed to block on the line.

Despite losing Sean Hebdon to injury Borough reorganised well at the back and were able to soak up some late Sherborne pressure, their task made easier when the visitors were reduced to 10 men after a player was sent off for swearing at the referee, resulting in the Hornets securibg the points to move above their visitors into fifth place.

Borough: Adam Nash, James Morrell (Jamie Wilson 75), Dan Herrington, Tony White, Sean Hebdon (Matt Bircumshaw 73), Paul Getley, Alex Gunn, James Edwards, Scott Smith, Lee O'Connell, Gary Fooks. Unused sub: Aaron Woldon.

Manager's Quotes..........

Winning boss Peter Morrell said: "It was quite a close game. In the first half we did not pressure although they never looked like threatening our goal. Then they got a penalty which there was no doubt about and Adam made a great save. He has faced two spot kicks and saved them both since he started playing for us. After the break it was all us despite the fact that we did not create many chances."

Sherborne manager Martyn Starnes said: "It was the missed penalty that cost us really. I thought their lad should have at least been given a talking-to by the referee for the foul because he was the last man. The penalty was too straight and the keeper saved it."