BRIDPORT 5 HYTHE & DIBDEN 1

TOM Richardson was Bridport’s hat-trick hero as the hosts eased past Hythe & Dibden in the FA Vase at St Mary’s Field.

Sean Stewart and substitute Jamie Beasley also found the net for the Bees, who now go into tomorrow's draw for the first round proper.

Trevor Senior’s men needed to be patient when trying to break down their Wessex League visitors on Saturday. Warren Byerley went close with a couple of headers before firing a shot from just outside the Boatmen’s box which scraped the post.

Bridport then pieced together a five-man move that ended with Darren Watts cutting inside and unleashing an effort which was well saved.

But from the resulting corner the ball fell to Stewart and he found the back of the net after beating a defender.

The all-important second goal came on the stroke of half-time, Richardson netting the first of his treble with a header over the keeper following good work by Byerley.

Beasley replaced Ryan Dovell at the break and he had a hand in Bridport’s third, which again came from a corner. Chris Senior’s decoy run created space in the penalty area and Richardson stole in to convert.

Another Beasley cross then gave Richardson a great chance to make it 4-0 but he somehow side-footed the ball over from three yards.

The Boatmen were handed a lifeline on 79 minutes as they cut the deficit to two.

Oluwaseun Olabiyi won an aerial battle with Bees’ keeper Ashley Weeks before tapping the ball into an unguarded net.

But the home side restored their three-goal advantage soon after, Beasley hitting a cross-shot that found the far corner.

Gary Bulman, Chris Senior and Max Buckler, who hit the crossbar, had opportunities to add a fifth, but Richardson did four minutes from time.

Although Hythe & Dibden were a clear second best, Bees’ boss Senior admitted after the game that the visitors were better than he expected.

“They came and had a go but, at times, I thought we played some really good football,” he said.

“It was pleasing to pick up another £800 for the club and we look forward to seeing who we get in the next round.”

Bees: Weeks, A Symes, Clarke, Evans (M Buckler 60), Senior, Hayter (Bulman 60), Stewart, Watts, Richardson, Byerley, Dovell (Beasley 46)