BRIDPORT RESERVES 5 STOURPAINE 0

BRIDPORT Reserves booked their spot in the Dorset Senior Trophy final with a resounding victory that manager Robin Townsend believes keeps their season alive.

After some early pressure from the home side at St Mary’s Field against a Stourpaine outfit who are yet to lose in the league this season, the Bees opened the scoring midway through the first half with a moment of magic from Dan Peart.

Picking up the ball on the edge of the Bridport area, Peart set off on a powerful run that saw him surge up the pitch and then calmly slot the ball home.

The visiting Steamers then squandered a golden opportunity to level just short of the interval when Townsend’s men fell asleep at the back.

But after the let off, Bridport, who ply their trade two leagues above Dorset LeagueDivision One outfit Stourpaine, then began to show their class.

Second-half strikes from Jack Scovell and Rhys Hayter put the game beyond doubt, Chris Herbst found the net from the penalty spot and Gary Bulman was on hand to make it 5-0.

Commenting on the encounter, Townsend told Echosport: “We were apprehensive beforehand because they were undefeated going into it.

“We started excellently in the first 10 minutes and had good chances but just couldn’t quite convert them.

“In hindsight, it could have been two or three and we just told the lads at half-time to keep going because they were doing all the right things.

“We kept plugging away and we nullified them to hardly any chances at all which set us up nicely.

“We defended superbly and it was good to get another clean sheet.

“As soon as we got two or three their heads dropped. They still kept going a little bit but we were just too strong for them in the end.

"We played well and I am very happy with the performance.

“We have had performances this year which have been pretty poor but this was in the top-five displays of our season I would say.”

On reaching the final against Chickerell United, who beat Portland United Reserves 2-0, the Bees boss added: “It keeps our season alive. If we had gone out then we would have been playing for a mid-table position and nobody wants that. Everybody wants to play in a final and it re-ignites things a bit.”

Bees: Fry, Lock, Peart, Hill, Herbst (Stordy 75), T Gale, Rh Hayter (Fouracre 60), Bulman, B Clarke, Scovell, Fleet (Walken 70).