BRIDPORT 2

Cornish 57, Richardson 65

CADBURY HEATH 0

BRIDPORT secured their second home Toolstation Western League Premier Division win of the season with a well-deserved 2-0 victory over Cadbury Heath at St Mary’s Field.

In beating the Heathens, the Bees did the double over their Bristol-based opponents following a 2-1 triumph in August – the success also becoming manager Jamie Manley’s third since he took charge.

Cadbury enjoyed the better of a first half low on quality, with Harry Goldspink firing wide after a solo run and Dan Winstone nodding astray of Scott Wells-Burr’s goal soon afterwards.

Wells-Burr was relieved when a bizarre header from Bees’ centre-back Aston Butcher – an attempted clearance – skewed just wide of the uprights before half-time.

Bridport had been limited to wayward shooting in the opening period but forged ahead on 57 minutes through the mazy run of Declan Cornish.

Picking up possession from a Will Gape ball inside the Heathens’ half, Cornish jinked and ducked past a statuesque Cadbury defence before rounding the keeper and scoring.

Suddenly, Bridport had a lead to protect and Wells-Burr was called upon to deny Enis Atgun an equaliser midway through the half.

Barely 60 seconds had elapsed following Wells-Burr’s save before Bridport doubled their lead when Tom Richardson’s looping header from a Cornish corner floated into the net for 2-0.

Now brimming with confidence, Bridport played some attractive football and were unlucky not to add to their tally as Lewis Clarke and Will Gape both smashed efforts against the crossbar.

However, the three points were safe and Bridport duly rose to 18th ahead of a nasty run of fixtures including Plymouth Parkway, Exmouth and Bitton.

Speaking after the game, Manley felt the victory was fully merited.

He said: “We’re very happy, it was well-deserved. We had four lads missing so we had to change the starting line-up from the Tavistock game.

“But to be fair we were on it from the first whistle. We put Cadbury Heath under a bit of pressure but they came into the game.

“It was quite an even half with chances for both sides, but no clear-cut ones.

“When we came out in the second half we took the game to them, put them under a fair bit of pressure and played some lovely football – that was pleasing.

“Our first goal was a great move, we kept the ball for six or seven passes. We had a platform then.

“Then we’ve had a corner and Tom ‘s scored from that – to be fair Cadbury didn’t cause us any problems after that.

“Sam Handyside’s come in and been fantastic. He kept hold of the ball and made us tick, I thought he was superb.”

Bees: Wells-Burr, Gall, Salter, Holmes, Butcher, Handyside, Charles (Greenwood-Neate 84), Gape, Clarke, Richardson, Cornish. Subs not used: Coombs, Dovell, Leader, Beals