BASHLEY 3

Strickland 7, McGrath 56, Morgan 70

BRIDPORT 0

BRIDPORT exited the FA Vase at the first qualifying round stage after a 3-0 defeat to fellow ninth-tier side Bashley.

The Bees were behind in the seventh minute when Brad Strickland rose highest to head home past visiting keeper Scott Wells-Burr.

Bashley continued to create chances and saw Harry McGrath rattle the woodwork before Dec Cornish forced home gloveman James Collins into a smart save.

Bridport conjured three half-chances as substitute Lewis Clarke shot wide before Tom Richardson and Ryan Gall worked Collins, but Bash streaked clear when McGrath latched on to a ball in behind the defence and slotted past Wells-Burr for 2-0.

Bash added a third against an increasingly dispirited Bees when Harry Morgan escaped the Bridport defence and fired into the net.

Speaking to Echosport, Bees’ boss Rich Robson was apologetic to the travelling Bridport fans.

He said: “I didn’t feel the attitude of the players was right to really compete. It was really disappointing all round.

“I feel quite sorry for the fans who came up all the way to Bashley to watch.

“It’s not the sort of performance we like to see throughout the whole game. You could see that heads had dropped after the second goal.”

Bees: Wells-Burr, Coombs, Phillips, Beals (Dovell 46), Wall, Gall, Cornish, Handyside (L Clarke 46), Richardson, Thompson, White (Okumu 65). Sub not used: Hewitt