BRIDPORT kick-off a busy month at Slimbridge on Saturday (3pm) as they bid to put more daylight between them and the teams near the bottom of the table.

The trip to Toolstation Western League Premier Division newcomers Slim-bridge is the first of five matches scheduled for the Bees in February.

That is followed by home games against Brislington and Winter-bourne United, an away clash with Radstock Town and then it is back to St Mary’s Field to face Melksham Town.

Bees’ boss Trevor Senior’s primary focus is on this weekend’s tussle with Slimbridge, who joined the Western League from the Hellenic League last summer.

A late Matt Condliffe goal salvaged a point for the Bees when the sides met in Bridport in October.

“We probably should have won that game,” said Senior. “They scored against the run of play and we didn’t play very well that day.

“Since then they have picked up and had some good results.

“They are a side near us in the table so it’s a bit of a six-pointer.

“It’s a big month for us. We are playing a lot of teams around us in the league and we know we need to do well against them.”

Chris Senior and Ashley Staines are unavailable for the match due to work commitments but Sam Filkins is back in goal and Gary Bulman should return from injury.

The midfielder featured in the 3-0 home defeat by Bristol Manor Farm last Saturday, Bridport’s first fixture of 2014 following several postponements.

After going into half-time at 0-0, Bridport conceded three times in the space of 10 second half minutes to throw away any hopes they may have had of taking something from the game.

“We played well in the first half and it was fairly even in a blustery wind and on a bobbly pitch,” said Senior. “We created four or five chances and made their keeper work.

“I would say coming in 0-0 at half-time was fair, but then we conceded three goals in about 15 minutes and they were disappointing goals from our point of view.

“It was disappointing to lose but it was that 15 minutes that hurt us. At half-time I said to the lads we had to make sure we didn’t concede an early goal and that’s exactly what we did.”

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