ODD DOWN 1

McGrane 49

BRIDPORT 0

A DEPLETED Bridport side fell to defeat against a clinical and defensively strong Odd Down side who nabbed a 1-0 win in the Toolstation Western Premier Division.

Ash McGrane’s goal separated the two sides, with Bridport having numerous chances in the second half.

Bridport currently have Sam Clark, Richard Hebditch and James Regan out injured, while Matt Condliffe, Tom Richardson and Dan Peach were unavailable while Lee Sweet was ill for the match.

The first half was an even affair, with the two sides failing to great a great chance between them.

Mark Salter went clean through at one point but, bizarrely, the referee blew his whistle due to his buzzer having gone off by mistake and the two sides went in at the break level.

The second half saw McGrane grab an early goal for the home side, when a good passage of play saw the ball come to him and he shrugged off some of the Bees to fire in at the right-hand post.

The Bees responded well, and saw Chris McGrath have a header saved from an Andy Martin corner.

Leon Wood then went on a mazy run, beat four players but hit his shot against the post.

Kameron Andrews also saw a rebounded effort saved by the Odd Down goalkeeper was in fine form in the second half, pulling off a series of superb stops to prevent the Bees from equalising.

Louis Rutter was then sent off for a late tackle after the Odd Down player broke forward down the right-hand side.

In a late chance, James Cox got down the right and pulled the ball back to Josh Hull, who blazed his effort over the bar.

Bridport boss Adam Fricker said: “We were really unlucky, to be fair.

“I cannot criticise the lads at all, we went up missing seven first-team regulars and only had 12 players so with the performance we were unlucky not to even get a draw if not win it.

“Like I said to the lads after the game they need to take immense credit from it. We gave some of the younger lads an opportunity.

“Leon Wood, who has been with us all season, came in and he was excellent. He has really staked a claim for a starting place, which we knew he was always capable off, we just needed him to put a run of games together.”

Bridport are at home to Plymouth Parkway on Saturday (3pm).

Bridport: Hutchings, Martin, Rutter, McGrath, Vere, Symes, Cox, Wood, Andrews, Salter, Morris (Hull 75). Subs not used: Fricker

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