PARLEY SPORTS 1 BRIDPORT RESERVES 1

MATT Newberry’s late leveller denied injury-hit Bridport Reserves back-to-back Dorset Premier League wins.

A draw was a fair result according to Bees’ boss Robin Townsend, but conceding an equaliser so near the end made it feel more like a defeat.

Bridport had travelled to Parley with a squad of 13 and were unfortunate to lose Sam Day and Jack Scovell (ankle) to injury at half-time.

However, they went in front through Harry Fleet on 48 minutes and looked relatively comfortable defending their lead.

But when Fleet twisted his knee with 20 minutes to go the visitors were to all intents and purposes playing a man short for the rest of the fixture – Fleet did stay on the pitch despite his injury.

They appeared to have weathered the storm and were on course for another three points when Newberry struck.

Commenting on the result, Townsend said: “A draw was probably a fair result but it felt a bit like a defeat after they equalised so late in the game.

“We weren’t particularly brilliant in the first half and that was disappointing because I thought we’d carry on from where we left off against Weymouth.

“Both teams cancelled each other out and there weren’t really many chances for either side.

“We lost Sam and Jack at half-time but were brighter in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

“Harry found the corner of the net from the edge of the box and I thought we were going to go on from there, but we took our foot off the pedal and invited them on to us.

“Harry was injured with 20 minutes left and although he stayed on we were basically playing with 10 men. We defended quite resolutely but we made three mistakes in a row and allowed them to get the ball into the box. They scored with a shot that gave Jamie Fry no chance.”

Bridport host Shaftesbury Town on Saturday and after the game (7pm) there will be a darts competition in the Beehive to raise money for Townsend’s team.

Bees: Fry, Day (Fouracre 46), Baggs, Evans, Stordy, Legg, H Fleet, B Clarke, Herbst, T Gale, Scovell (Cummings 46)