SWANAGE Town and Herston paid the perfect tribute to chairman Lenny Marsh's memory on Saturday with a sensational 7-0 annihilation of Blandford United at Days Park.

Mr Marsh tragically lost his long battle with illness last week.

But this only served to galvanise Derek Beale's men, who had endured a torrid start to the season and claimed just six points from their opening nine games.

They emphatically blew the storm clouds out of the Swanage sky with a powerful display, which left them 5-0 up at half time.

A brace from Richard Sands sandwiched one from Jacob Harrop, while Jamie Dunn and Lee Turner also got in on the act.

Harrop and Dunn completed the rout in the second period to leave Swans purring and Beale over the moon with his side's tribute to their chairman.

He said: "Obviously, we wanted to do something for Lenny.

"It's a very awkward time for everybody at the moment but we came out with a very nice result - I just wish he had been here to see it.

"Before the game, I told the lads that we desperately needed a win and that they had to scrap for it.

"There were times when we had to fight but there were other moments when we played some really good football."

With Blandford rock bottom of the Dorset Premier League with just one point from nine games, Swans had every reason to be confident.

But Beale is determined his men, who currently stand 13th in the table, will continue marching up the ladder, as they are just two points off seventh place.

He added: "Everyone was buzzing after Blandford because it was one of those games where everything we struck went in.

"I hope this is the start of our turnaround but we have a difficult match against Holt United this weekend in the league cup.

"Hopefully, we can do something there, carry this confidence forward and push on up the table."

Last Saturday's matches provided a catalogue of shock results.

One of the biggest surprises saw Poole Borough suffer their first league loss of the season, after they went down 4-1 at DPL newcomers Wincanton Town.

Steven Devlin and Sam Vine scored two apiece to drop the flying Hornets down to fifth in the table.

Meanwhile, lowly Bridport slayed a giant of their own, following their 2-1 triumph at home to title-chasing Hamworthy Recreation.

Visiting striker Mike Notley levelled the match on the stroke of half-time, after Ben Ward had put the Bees in front five minutes earlier.

But Bridport would not be denied and Ward scored again on 70 minutes to slow Rec's championship charge.

Their title rivals Holt United had better luck at Cobham Sports but needed a last-gasp equaliser to snatch a 2-2 draw.

Tim Vukcevic opened Sports' account on 10 minutes and Peter Goodbody made it two on 50.

This left Holt with plenty to do but Darren Facer hit back on 72 minutes, before Dave Sturgess rescued a point in stoppage time.

Hamworthy United forced their way into sixth spot with a 1-0 victory over Sturminster Newton United at the County Ground, courtesy of a Keith Middleton strike on 39 minutes.

Elsewhere, Sturminster Marshall's dodgy defensive record continued, as they were hammered 4-0 at Westland Sports.

And Portland United surged four points clear at the league summit with a 1-0 triumph at home to second-from-bottom Cranborne.