WIMBORNE 3

Burbidge 26, L Holmes 37, Young 54

BRIDPORT 2

Butcher 32, Morris 71

WIMBORNE will face Poole in the Dorset Senior Cup final after surviving a late scare to beat a brave Bridport side 3-2 at Cuthbury.

Luke Burbidge and Luke Holmes scored either side of an Ed Butcher strike in the first half.

Curtis Young extended the hosts’ lead to 3-1 before Ben Morris volleyed in via the post to set up a frantic finale.

Bridport, whose only change from Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Plymouth Parkway was the introduction of Luke King for Matt Condliffe, started brightly and pressured their hosts into conceding an early corner only for Butcher to blaze a shot out of the ground.

Holmes and Butcher then traded wayward 20-yard shots before Davidson miscued the first real chance of the game, slicing his six-yard effort at the back post.

Burbidge, who took time to warm into the game, sprung into life on 26 minutes when winning a corner and quickly exchanging passes with Billy Maybury before firing a deflected shot past Jason Hutchings at the keeper’s near post.

Soon after volleying wide from 18 yards, Butcher hauled the Bees level with arguably the goal of the game. Braeden Symes’ majestic ball over the top set the winger free and the former Street man cut inside Lee Francis before blasting into the roof of the net past Chad Collins.

Wimborne were pegged back for just five minutes as Aidan Shepherd superbly chased down a lost cause, sliding at the byline to chip a perfect cross past Hutchings for Holmes to nod home three yards out.

Wimborne could have extended their lead before the break, only to see Kieran Douglas’ header cleared off the line.

After the interval, Douglas headed wide from a corner before King volleyed against the far post from a Butcher corner.

On 54 minutes though, Wimborne went 3-1 up as Young shot at Hutchings when one-on-one and luckily saw the ricochet bobble into the net.

Plucky Bridport were undeterred and saw Morris narrowly shoot wide before the teenager halved the deficit, volleying in off the post following the outstanding Butcher’s free-kick to set up a grandstand finish.

Just 60 seconds elapsed before Morris again shot wide as the Bees pressed, although in reply Davidson again missed a header with 11 minutes left.

With four minutes remaining, Butcher latched on to a chipped pass and narrowly lobbed wide to the agony of the Bees’ bench as Wimborne held on against a side two divisions beneath them, despite Davidson wasting two late chances and Shepherd spurning a one-on-one.

Wimborne: Collins, Francis, Lee (Penny 66), Davidson, Douglas (Hall 85), Clarke, Maybury, Young, Shepherd, Burbidge, L Holmes. Subs not used: Benfield, Traynor, D Holmes.

Bridport: Hutchings, Williams, Cox (Condliffe 85), Symes (Martin 58) Andrews, King, Thomas, Peach, Salter, Butcher, Morris. Subs not used: Fricker, Smith.

Referee: Adam Baker

Attendance: 155

CONTACT ME:

t: 01305 830990

e: neil.walton

@dorsetecho.co.uk

twitter: @EchoSportNeil