WAREHAM Rangers boss Matt Welsh hailed his makeshift central defensive partnership – teenager Matt Beard and Chris White, the club’s 42-year-old vice-chairman.

The duo, paired together after first-choice Mark Gregory had been injured in the warm-up, starred during Rangers’s 4-1 win over Dorset Premier League rivals Hamworthy United reserves.

Beard, 18, sparked the comeback when he netted to cancel out Ollie Clayton’s opener before Jordan Basing’s double saw Rangers reach the break leading 3-1.

And with Beard and White standing firm at the back, Richie Parsons came off the bench to complete the scoring, capping Rangers’s biggest league victory of the season.

Gregory’s late withdrawal came on the back of the absence of fellow central defender Dan Godwin, who was unavailable due to a holiday commitment.

Welsh said: “Matt and Chris were excellent and both played their part in a good win against a good side.

“Chris normally plays for the reserves but was with us last week and I wanted to keep him in the squad. I know what I’m going to get from him and, if every lad had his attitude, you would never have any issues with anyone. He is a credit to himself and I had no qualms about putting him in.”

Welsh added: “It was a great response after going 1-0 down. We gave away the ball cheaply at times but it was a tricky pitch so that was going to happen.”

Meanwhile, Swanage Town & Herston’s three-match unbeaten run came to an end following an incident-packed 4-3 defeat at the hands of high-fliers Portland United.

Goals from Jake Price and Ashley Smith put second-placed Portland in the ascendancy before they were reduced to 10 men following the 38th-minute dismissal of Lewis Clarke.

Swans made the most of their numerical advantage and goals in quick succession from Chris Woods and Arthur Landon saw them reach the break on level terms.

However, Portland regrouped after the interval with strikes from Carl Mutch and Smith’s second seeing them forge 4-2 ahead.

Swans were also reduced to 10 men when Judd Huse saw red five minutes from time before Garran Bennett’s goal in the closing stages set up a tense finish.