BUCKLAND ATHLETIC 5

BRIDPORT 0

BRIDPORT crashed to a 5-0 defeat at Buckland Athletic – the Bees’ sixth defeat by five or more goals this Toolstation Western League Premier Division season.

Bridport’s loss was as poor as the scoreline suggested, with the Bees failing to seriously trouble Athletic keeper Kenny Griffiths.

Buckland were honouring late chairman Roy Holmes at the fixture, with free admission for fans and donations to Oesophageal Cancer Research urged.

And the Bucks responded brilliantly with a first-half display that stunned Bridport.

The Bees were without boss Jamie Manley after he received a four-game stadium ban for his dismissal in the 2-2 draw with Roman Glass St George.

Manley’s number two Kevin Leigh took the reins and watched on as goalkeeper Scott Wells-Burr could only deflect Nathan Cooper’s cross into his own net via his legs.

Buckland made it 2-0 after Ben Haines dithered in clearing a cross and the Bucks extended their lead to 3-0 at the break.

Former Bridport centre-back Chris McGrath haunted his old side with a delightful cross for Cooper to head his second goal early in the second half.

Jamie Passmore added a fifth, capitalising on a motionless Bridport defence who were waiting for a whistle which never came.

Bridport could only muster three threatening crosses, although youngsters Riley Weedon, Ryan Leader and Riley Greenwood-Neate showed promise after their second-half introductions.

Bridport remain in 18th with relegation rivals Chipping Sodbury, Wellington and Odd Down all losing.

Speaking to Echosport, Leigh was annoyed by another heavy defeat.

“It’s very frustrating,” he said. “I do feel sorry for the supporters that we do take to away games, the old favourites that do things around the ground that go and watch us.

“It wasn’t a good game for Bridport to go and watch, the game passed us by.

“In every position (Buckland) were better than us.”

But Leigh found positives in the display of his second-half substitutes.

He said: “Riley Weedon, who scored a couple of hat-tricks for the reserves, he came on at half-time and played very, very well.

“I put Riley Greenwood-Neate on and Ryan played very well. They were the plus points, really.

“They played well because they’ve been playing in the DPL (Dorset Premier League).”

He added: “We’ve got to make sure we’re the top of the bottom of the table, the bottom four or five. 

“We’ve got to take points off them. If we do that, we’ll stay up. Anything above us is a very hard game for us.”

Bees: Wells-Burr, Barfoot (Leader 61), Haines, Holmes, Butcher, Warren, Westlake (Greenwood-Neate 69), Gape, Clarke (Weedon 46), Knox, Cornish. Sub not used: McAuley.