BRIDPORT RES 2

HAMWORTHY UNITED RES 1

A HEADER from Ben Clarke ensured that Bridport Reserves saw off Hamworthy United Reserves, in a tight encounter at St Mary’s Field.

In a performance which Bees’ manager Robin Townsend admitted was far from first-class from his side, he still praised their tenacity to claim all three points.

Initially, things looked bleak for the hosts when they fell behind after some sloppy defending on 39 minutes.

Hammers’ Dan Manuel was not closed down quickly enough by the home side and was allowed the time to pick his spot and smash the ball into the top corner of the net.

But that advantage was short-lived when just three minutes later, Jack Scov-ell popped up with a sublime effort of his own to level the scoring.

After Bridport had worked the ball well down the left-hand side, the ball fell to Scovell, who hit a sweet effort with the outside of his boot which flew past the Hammers’ stopper, a goal which Bees’ boss Townsend believed was richly deserved.

“To get that goal just before half-time was massive for us,” he said.

“I’d say we weren’t at our best in the first half but we deserved to go in level or ahead.”

And just short of the hour mark, Townsend saw his charges net the winner when Ben Clarke rose highest from a set-piece to land his side’s second win of the season, and move them up to 13th in the Dorset Premier League standings.

The manager added: “We didn’t play as well as we did against Portland but that’s football and I will take the three points every day of the week. I thought we deserved the win anyway.

“It’s a massive three points.

“We need to get our season up and running now and we could have arguably got something out of all of our games so far.”

Bees: Fry, Porteous (Day 60), Taylor, Evans, Herbst, H Fleet, Bulman, Cummings (McClements 65), Gale, Clarke, Scovell (Legg 75)