Portland UNITED 4 Bridport RESERVES 0

STEVE Crabb conceded that Portland United were “the better side” but was left to rue an early injury to Dan Peart.

The young star suffered a suspected broken ankle inside five minutes and with the Bridport man on the deck, the referee allowed play to continue with the home side rubbing further salt in the wound by opening the scoring through Carl Mutch.

Sam Pattison and Liam Currell put the high-flying Blues 3-0 up at half-time before Mutch bagged his second of the game early in the second period.

Although disappointed to fall to successive defeats in the Magna Dorset Premier League, Crabb was pleased with his side’s second-half response.

The joint-manager said: “We started okay but then Dan was stretchered off with a suspected broken ankle.

“The ref had actually allowed play to go on and Portland went on and scored. The ref really should have blown up with Dan down injured.

“Their second goal came from a silly free-kick and then we gave away the third.

“But I was pleased with how we responded in the second half. We had enough possession but possession doesn’t win you matches.

“We didn’t expect to get anything from the game but to lose Dan early on and concede a goal at the same time didn’t help. It’s a hard place to come without having those setbacks.

“We could have let our heads drop and lost by eight or nine but we looked the more likely team to score in the second half.

“I was pleased with the fact that we kept going in the second half but Portland were the better side.”

Counterpart Stuart Heath, who is leaving the islanders to become Phil Simkin’s assistant at Dorchester Town, said: “It was a good way to finish.

“I was keen for the players to put in a good performance and end the season well.

“We got back to playing the sort of football we were playing before Christmas and it was good to see the players relax.”

The Bees, who were due to host Swanage Town & Herston last night, end their campaign tomorrow night at home to title-chasing Westland Sports (7.30pm).

Blues: Carroll, Cranny, Reader, Whyton, Carter, Litherland, Halloran, Carmichael, Pattison, Currell, Mutch (Linaker 70).

Bees: Cleal, Peart (Gale 5), Day, A Clarke, Bulman, Condliffe, D Lock, Cummings, McAllister (Scovell 55), B Clarke, Evans. Sub not used: M Lock.

Attendance: 115