CHERRIES’ up-and-coming charges made the most of a pristine playing surface with a neat passing display at Hamworthy Recreation.

Development boss Stephen Purches gave two separate XIs a run-out in each half and Cherries threatened to sweep aside their Dorset Premier League opponents throughout the first half.

Stephane Zubar made a surprise 20-minute appearance alongside Miles Addison at centre-half but it was widemen Aristide Bassele and Harrison Gilkes who caught the eye.

Cherries moved the ball well from the outset and almost took a sixth-minute lead when lively trialist Jordan Murphy cut back for Bassele to blaze high and wide from the edge of the area.

The deadlock was soon broken, though, when Gilkes cut back for midfielder Ben Whitfield to show good composure and slam home as Cherries flooded the box with bodies.

Moments later, Gilkes’s teasing cross was flicked away by Rec’s Richard Sands with Jayden Stockley ready to pounce but the second wasn’t far away.

Bassele picked up the ball from deep and sprayed a pass for Gilkes to calmly switch inside and roll to Murphy whose precise first-time finish nestled neatly in the bottom corner.

By now, Cherries were carving open their opponents at will and Stockley’s burst down the left teed up Murphy to miss a gilt-edged chance for number three.

The tempo dropped after half an hour but the visitors still looked dangerous and Bassele’s driving run and cut back gift-wrapped the third as Murphy tucked home from close range.

An entirely different Cherries side made for a more even second half but the visitors still created the better openings and Josh O’Hanlon caused plenty of problems with his darting runs in behind.

The former Longford Town striker did everything right before snatching at a couple of presentable chances, though Cherries did add their fourth on 65 minutes when Brandon Goodship’s cheeky backheel rounded off a crisp passing move.

Hamworthy substitute Luke Pidgley’s instinctive hooked effort drew a fine reaction save from Pat O’Flaherty, while at the other end Goodship sprung the offside trap but rolled his finish against the base of the post during the dying embers.

Delivering his post-match assessment, Purches said: “We had good spells where we controlled the game. Generally, we try to play like the first team and there were nice little phases of that which was pleasing.

“We need to be more clinical in both boxes but it is early days and I couldn’t fault the attitude of the players."

Cherries first half: Holmes, Muleba, Buckley, Addison, Zubar (Butcher, 21), Wakefield, Gilkes, Whitfield, Murphy, Stockley, Bassele.

Cherries second half: O’Flaherty, Lee, Harfield, McCarthy, Kaye, Carmichael (Butcher, 85), Walsh, A Coulibaly, O’Hanlon, Goodship, Matthews.

Rec: Knights (Downes, 85), Sands, Hatchard (Mulvey, 60), Willis (Porter, 85), Bartlett (Walden, h-t), Ross, Andrews (Ayley, 73), Wilcock (Grimason, 60), Purdy (Pinder, h-t), Stone (Iglewski, 55), Payne (Pidgley, 60).