BRIDGWATER TOWN 1

BRIDPORT 0

TEN-man Bridport fell to an agonising 1-0 defeat at Bridgwater Town in the Toolstation Western League Premier Division.

Having dominated for large periods of the contest, spurning a couple of excellent chances, Bridport’s afternoon worsened when Bees’ defender Andy Martin was sent off for a high tackle on Harry Horton.

Bridport’s fortunes deteriorated further when Tom Ellis nodded home a long throw-in amongst a crowded penalty box on 74 minutes to seal all three points for the hosts.

Such a result for Adam Fricker’s men seemed unlikely following a first half in which the Bees were on top.

Sam Clark passed up a good opportunity early on, while right-back James Regan also saw two chances come and go before Bridport struck the crossbar from a free-kick in the second-half.

Bridgwater were not without chances and the hosts also hit the upright when right-back Dave Thorne cracked his effort against the post from 25 yards, Jack Taylor then seeing his follow-up cleared off the line.

Any hopes of a positive outcome for Bridport were dampened when Martin was shown a straight red for what referee Sean Rothwell deemed to be a high lunge on Horton with 69 minutes played.

Thereafter, it took just five minutes for Bridgwater to score when Ellis’ header found the far corner from a long throw, a format of play Bridport had struggled with throughout the clash.

Bridport persisted gallantly in search of an equaliser but could not fashion another major chance as Bridgwater held on in front of a bumper crowd of 371 – a product of the Western League’s Groundhop weekend.

Speaking to Echosport after the loss, Fricker, whose side remain in 18th, expressed his frustration at taking no points from the fixture despite having largely been in control.

He said: “We dominated large periods of the game like we have done for the last few games in the league.

“The game changed when Andy got sent off. We were on top and it didn’t look like they were threatening us at all. That rocked us and probably cost us at least a point.

“I haven’t got any complaints about it. He left the ground and lunged. Sometimes you get away with them and sometimes you don’t. The ref was pretty quick to get his red out.”

On the goal, he added: “It was literally just a long throw. The lad’s just launched it into the box and (Ellis) managed to flick it on. It was pretty straightforward and really frustrating from our part.”

Bees: Hutchings, Regan, Andrews, McGrath, Martin, Sweet, Symes, Hebditch (Peach 70), Latas, Clark (Thomas 63), Salter..

Subs not used: Rutter, Fricker

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