BRIDPORT 0

BRISLINGTON 1

Buck 48

BRIDPORT were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Brislington in an ill-tempered contest at St Mary’s Field, with Oaklan Buck’s 48th minute strike the difference in the Toolstation Western Premier Division.

In a dramatic contest, Mark Salter missed a penalty just before half-time while the referee had to speak to both technical boxes about their language towards him and the fans present.

The bizarre nadir of this came when the referee spoke to the Bridport technical area about the language, prompting an accusation of inconsistency from the crowd, despite the referee having spoken to the Brislington box for the same reason earlier in the match.

It cast a further cloud over the sodden St Mary’s Field pitch in what was an intriguing contest between the two sides.

Salter had an early strike before Brislington even got a touch, but his low effort was struck at the away side’s goalkeeper Chris Blammon.

Bridport started fast and well attacking down the right-hand side, with Leighton Thomas making an early impression, with Brislington’s Taylor Morrison struggling to cope with him.

Brislington’s first attack forward was promising but was stopped with an offside decision, which was poetic justice given the missed handball in the build-up.

Sam Clark, fresh from his brace last weekend, nearly scored from a rebound after a Thomas shot in but his shot went wide from the edge of the box.

The Bees’ fans thought their side had scored after 16 minutes when Thomas again crossed in from the right, but Clark’s shot hit the post but bounced out and away from danger.

Buck nearly opened the scoring after a superbly incisive move centrally that ended with a shot straight at James Smith in the Bridport goal shortly after.

This triggered a good spell of pressure from the visitors, who forced Smith into three saves in the space of two minutes but they could not break through.

The Bees endured this spell however, and began reasserting themselves into the match after 37 minutes, when Thomas earned another corner for Bridport with another great run down the right.

Yet from this the Bees almost scored, as the corner was swung in and met at point-blank range by Oscar Latas, but Blammon made a double save with Latas having followed up his initial effort with another header.

It was shortly after this that the Brislington technical area received a talking to from the referee with the game distastefully reaching boiling point.

Thomas’ running made a mockery of the Brislington defence shortly after as he earned a corner from a good run despite there being four of the away team trying to take the ball off him.

A minute later, and Bridport were presented with a penalty after Latas was fouled near the edge of the box.

However, Salter stepped up and sent it horribly high and wide as the first half finished 0-0.

The second period started with Latas firing a weak shot at Blammon. Yet from the counter Buck curled a wonderful shot past Smith in the Bridport goal to find what would prove to be the winner.

The second half was almost all Bridport, but much to the frustration of the home fans they could not find a winning touch.

Thomas curled a shot wide of the far post from 25 yards after 52 minutes, before Latas received a lovely ball from Salter but he sent his shot wide.

The pressure was mounting as Bridport time and time again got forward only to be undone and it seemed like at least an equalising goal would arrive among the downpour.

After 73 minutes, Latas fired a first-time shot from inside the box over the bar to the relief of Blammon in the Brislington goal.

Shortly after, the Bridport management were spoken to by the referee with the linesman having alerted the man in the middle to the situation.

After 85 minutes, it appeared it just would not be Bridport’s day, with Blammon saving from substitute Richard Hebditch who had a golden opportunity with a headed effort from inside the box.

Try as they might an equaliser did not come and Bridport succumbed to their first home defeat of the season in the league.

Bridport next host Bristol Telephones on Wednesday in the Les Phillips Cup (7.45pm).

Bees: Smith, Regan, Sweet, Symes, Andrews, Martin, Thomas, Peach (Wood 74), Salter, Clark (Hebditch 70), Latas. Subs not used: Richardson, Fricker

Brislington: Blammon, Thomas, Morrison, Hughes, Llama, Rimmer, Taylor, Peart, Buck, Ayaabah, Chandler. Subs: Courtier, Woolland, Perks

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