BRIDPORT 4

Cox 26, Weedon 45+1, Arnold 86, 90+1

BALTI SPORTS 1

Hawker 85

BRIDPORT claimed a simple 4-1 victory over Balti Sports in their final pre-season friendly of the summer at St Mary’s Field.

First-half goals from James Cox and Riley Weedon gave Bridport the lead before ex-Bees defender Jake Hawker’s header made it 2-1 with five minutes to go.

It took a late double from Callum Arnold to seal victory for Bridport against their Dorset Premier League opponents.

Balti nearly took advantage of a sloppy start by Bridport, who play one tier higher, when former Bees striker Derek Wall laced a deflected effort wide.

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Errors continued to creep into the Bees’ game as a careless backpass needed to be cleared off the line by goalkeeper Jordon Scadding.

When the Bees settled, they began to create chances as Brad Rowe headed over from Luke King’s cross.

And Bridport duly took the lead in the 26th minute when Cox beat Nott with a clever lob after racing onto a through ball.

Sol Ayunga and Weedon fired two more chances well over before Balti briefly threatened with a speculative 25-yarder that zipped over Scadding’s bar.

However, fast approaching half-time Bridport doubled their lead when Weedon curved home an accurate 20-yard free-kick, leaving Nott to watch his effort sail into the bottom-right corner.

Balti began the second half on the front foot but Bridport quickly wrestled back the momentum and should have made it 3-0.

Weedon shot wide after a quick turn and shot, before Ayunga tested Nott with a free-kick and then somehow shot wide, ignoring two supporting teammates.

In the 63rd minute, Ayunga’s luckless night continued when Nott took the sting out of his powerful low drive and Balti got back to clear off the line.

Nott was called upon again to block Weedon’s low shot from 12 yards but with Bridport seemingly cruising to victory, their nerves jangled on 85 minutes when Hawker headed home a corner.

However, their jitters were short-lived when Nott misjudged a punch at Arnold’s shot and diverted his effort into the far corner.

Arnold then put the result beyond all doubt in the 91st minute, gambling on a long diagonal to volley in from an extremely tight angle.

Bees: Jo Scadding, Brook, Cox (Childs 70), King, Leader, Baggs (Baker 60), Parsons, Weedon (Coombs 70), Owen (Diaz 64), Rowe, Ayunga (Arnold 64).