ROMSEY TOWN 4

Odam 16, 50, Elezi 55, Farren 115

BRIDPORT 4

Salter 11, 70, Thomas 67, Latas 97

BRIDPORT are set for a Wednesday night replay after a bizarre 4-4 draw at Romsey Town in the first round qualifying of the FA Vase.

Bridport led twice, yet were also two goals down at one point and had two penalties that were comfortably fired in by Mark Salter.

The match started brightly for the Bees, when Ben Morris was brought down inside the Romsey box for a penalty, which Salter comfortably dispatched to hand them an early lead.

However, Braeden Symes then gave away a penalty for a high boot, which Jack Odam fired in to level the scores after 16 minutes.

The two sides then remained deadlocked for the rest of the half.

The second saw Romsey come out firing early on when Odam notched his second goal.

The superb start to the second period from the hosts saw them extend their lead once more, when Info Elezi put some daylight between the two sides.

However, Leighton Thomas then scored a fantastic goal from 25 yards into the top left-hand corner for the Bees which dragged his side back into the match.

Kameron Andrews then went on a superb mazy run that drew the foul from Romsey inside their box to earn the penalty, which Salter again comfortably dispatched to make it 3-3.

The two sides would remain deadlocked until extra-time reared its head.

Bridport had improved late on in the second half and it showed during the first period of extra time.

Latas nodded in after 97 minutes to hand Bridport the lead.

There was to be a further final twist as Pearce Farren drew Romsey level once more late on in the first period of extra time

Neither side could fashion a late winner and the replay will now be on Wednesday at St Mary’s Field.

Bridport boss Adam Fricker said: “It was, I suppose an exciting game for the neutral, but certainly not from my perspective!

“To put it bluntly we were very poor, take nothing away from Romsey we are lucky to still be in it because our performance was that poor.

“In a way, I am happy to get a draw so we can try and put it right on Wednesday night.

“We scored early on through a Mark Salter penalty and after that we just completely dropped our intensity.

“Just all across the park we were not great, to be fair.”

Bees: Hutchings, Peach, Cox (Hebditch 45), McGrath, Andrews, Thomas, Williams (Clark 65), Symes, Morris (Wood 70), Latas, Salter

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