George Atwal gave the Blues hope with a goal at the start of the second half, but goals from David Solademi, Conor Tee, and Elliott Ball secured victory as the Blues fell to ten men with the dismissal of Riece Bertram.

Brad Munn opted to make five changes from the side that drew with Barwell on New Year's Day – Aaron Cole, Cieron Keane, and Bertram all began in defence, whilst Alans Voskresenskis and Lewis Belgrave both began in attack.

After just four minutes had been played, the hosts were gifted the first opportunity of the afternoon through a free kick 20 yards out. Tee stood over and looked to find the top left corner, but it turned out to be a comfortable catch for Ross Durrant.

Academy prospect Voskresenskis could have edged the Blues ahead in the 11th minute, when Jack Rogers’ inch-perfect pass found the feet of the forward for a prodded strike, although pressure from Oliver Taylor meant the ball flew way wide of the target.

United then had another opportunity just seven minutes later - Keane swung a corner right onto a crowded goal line looking for the head of Bertram or Cole, however, the ball was punched clear by Taylor.

Mid-way through the first half, Aaron Roberts let fire from 25 yards out looking to strike the hosts into the lead, but once again Durrant caught the ball with composure.

Dunkley came close to putting the hosts ahead with 15 minutes left of the first half, as the striker won the ball inside the Blues’ box and looked to arrow a strike towards the near post, although this time Bertram through his body on the line to block and clear the ball.

Keanu Cooper thought he had given the hosts an advantage in first-half stoppage time when he redirected a Tee cross from close to find the back of the net, however, the linesman pulled the play back for an offside decision.

Dunkley did however put Sporting ahead in the second minute of stoppage time with a firm header into the bottom right corner from close, just out the reach of the diving Durrant.

After an even first half, the second half began in similar fashion, but this time the Blues were gifted a glimmer of hope.

Just one minute after the restart Atwal wound up from 25 yards out looking for the top left corner, which he superbly found with a slight deflection that took it just past the fingertips of Taylor.

The Blues should have taken the lead in the 57th minute – Voskresenskis charged through on goal before being pulled back by Solademi, however, the referee played advantage and Rogers took over, looking for goal, but could not quite find the target with his poked effort.

Six minutes later, it was the hosts that re-took the lead as Solademi reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the Blues’ box following a dangerous corner and simply thumped a strike into the roof of Durrant’s net.

Then, in pretty quick succession, Tee took a speculative strike from 25 yards out, but the power and dip took it incredibly over Durrant’s head and just under the crossbar to give the hosts a third.

In the 74th minute, to rub salt in the wounds of the United players, Bertram was deemed to have fouled Tee on the edge of the Blues’ box, which earned him a second yellow card, and a dismissal for the last 26 minutes of the match.

Just over 10 minutes later Sporting secured their fourth goal of the match through substitute Ball. Capitalising on the extra man, Ball wandered into acres of space and struck low from the edge of the box, which found the bottom left corner and beat Durrant.

The Blues battled in the dying moments of the match, but ultimately, it was a rough defeat away from home as the referee blew the final whistle at the Victoria Ground.