BRIDPORT 0

MOUSEHOLE 6

BRIDPORT slumped to a 6-0 defeat at the hands of Mousehole – despite a floodlight power cut threatening to cut short their clash at St Mary’s Field.

With a localised power cut forcing the action to be played in a gloomy second half, there was doubt over whether the fixture would be completed.

However, Mousehole eventually walked away with a handsome victory and six goals – the seventh time this season the Bees have conceded that number or more.

Bridport faced an uphill battle to retrieve points from the game when Adam Steele conceded a penalty in the first minute, scored by Hayden Turner a minute later.

Callum Arnold and Riley Greenwood-Neate spurned good opportunities for the hosts, while Turner blazed over a golden chance at the other end.

Having remained in touch with the Seagulls throughout, Bridport were given a blow before half-time when Louis Price’s overhead kick beat Greg Taylor in the Bees’ goal.

After the floodlight drama, with only a handful of light working on each of the four towers, Mousehole accelerated away in a familiar pattern for Bridport fans.

Callam McOnie netted soon after the restart before Mark Goldsworthy took advantage of slack defending to make it 4-0.

Taylor conceded a penalty from which Turned notched the fifth and his hat-trick was completed by finishing off a slick team move.

Post-match, Bees’ boss Rob Marquis said: “It was the same old story. We gave a penalty away in the first minute.

“We did quite well in the first half but we conceded right on the stroke of half-time, which was a shame.

“Second half, once we conceded the third it’s the same old story. Some of the players start looking a bit lethargic and struggling, look like they’ve got concrete wellies on.”

On the floodlight issue, Marquis added: “The power people came out and there was a power cut, not a failure.

“It wasn’t just our floodlights. There were no lights in the changing room, the bar, the lot.

“They managed to get them back on but there was a concern that we weren’t going to finish the game because we had the floodlights on almost five minutes into the game, it was quite a dark afternoon.

“There were quite a few bulbs out and Shaun (Annetts, assistant) and I were concerned – probably with the storm last week – that they took a battering.”

Bridport visit Hamworthy United in the Dorset Senior Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday (7.45pm).

Bees: Taylor, A Steele, Stanners, Baker, Baggs (Hawker 55), Owen, Boulton, McAllister (Hill 62), Arnold (Carlile 75), Hansford, Greenwood-Neate. Subs not used: Burwood, Osei-Kumi.