COBHAM Sports manager Tim Balch is determined to at least finish top of the strugglers in the Dorset Premier League this term.

The Merley outfit triumphed 3-1 over Blandford United at Park Road on Saturday to claim their second win in eight DPL matches.

Jon Lever headed them in front from Craig Barnett’s free kick early on, before converting a penalty to make it two after 20 minutes.

Blandford had Matthew Hubble sent off for a reckless challenge on the half-hour, before Cobham sealed the points with a Derrant Blenman goal after 55 minutes.

Mark Ford netted a late consolation for the Royals, but it did not take the shine off a great afternoon for Cobham.

Balch admits he had high hopes for Sports going into this season.

However, after losing a string of key players, he is just determined to ensure they pull clear of the DPL’s lower reaches.

He said: “I look at the DPL as being like the Premiership. You have three separate leagues within the league.

“You have the top teams fighting for honours, the middle mediocre sides and the group that normally struggle.

“It’s our ambition to at least come top of that last pile and push on in forthcoming seasons.”

Balch admits the club has endured a tough couple of months after losing a string of star players to injury and suspension.

He added: “We won our first two and drew the next one – then I had my star centre forward Liam McGlynn suspended for three months.

“We’ve also had a few major injuries to major players and we were just playing catch-up.

“We said last year that it was going to be a three-year plan to get something in place and start doing something serious. It’s certainly panning out that way.

“We have won almost as many games as we did last year and we’re two points ahead of the total we accrued in the whole of last season.

“Although it’s not as good as I would have expected or hoped for, you’d have to say that it’s progress.”

One huge move Balch hopes will take Cobham forward is the club’s merger with Merley Youth FC.

The Sports boss hopes this will be completed ahead of next season and feels it will give his team a great supply of young talent.

He added: “We have arranged an amalgamation with Merley Youth FC, which is just up the road.

“That is fantastic news for us because now we have a foundation of young teams right from under-sevens to under-18s.

“That will put us right back on the map as a production line. We’re very, very enthusiastic and happy with it.

“John and Jackie Groves from Merley Youth have worked tirelessly on getting the amalgamation going. It will be in place for next year.”

Cobham’s clash with Blandford was the only DPL game staged on Saturday as all others were called off due to the storms which hit the county on Friday.