LYME REGIS 4

ELMORE SECONDS 3

JOE Bond returned from injury to snatch a late winner for Lyme Regis in a 4-3 win over Elmore Seconds at Davey Fort.

With the clock running down to the final minute, Bond popped up to score a predatory goal and give Lyme their third victory of the season.

Three points elevated the Seasiders into fourth place in the Joma Devon & Exeter League Premier Division.

Another goalfest for Lyme – their fourth game in seven containing more than six goals – began ironically with a first-half blank.

Lyme felt aggrieved when the relentless Rikki Sargent crossed for Tom Kilcoyne to head against the bar. The Seasiders felt the ball strayed over the line but nothing was given by the officials.

Sargent, who has enjoyed a stellar start to the season, gave Lyme the lead in fortuitous circumstances two minutes after the break when his cross from 40 yards sailed into the top corner.

Elmore were behind for just three minutes, equalising for 1-1 before Brad Rowe regained Lyme’s lead, firing home from 25 yards.

Robin Harp was then lobbed twice in 60 seconds as Elmore finished a manic run of three goals in under 15 minutes courtesy of Ryan White’s brace and sub Corey Groover’s strike.

Trailing 3-2, boss Julien Simier threw on Bond – out for months with a broken foot – with 25 minutes to go.

Chances flowed for Lyme as Ben Turner nodded wide and Bond guided a Rowe cross over with his knee.

However, Turner was sin-binned for dissent which galvanised the Seasiders and led to the levelling goal when Callum Garrett’s stunning low drive made it 3-3 with six minutes remaining.

Elmore themselves went down to 10 men for dissent, just as Turner came back, setting up an intense finale.

Bond saw an effort miraculously saved from two yards but was not to be denied a fairytale winner when he converted Garrett’s 90th-minute cross to seal all three points.

Simier told the Bridport News: “We do like to entertain at the moment.

“If we manage to stop conceding silly goal it will give me less of a panic attack!

“But the spirit was fantastic, we went 1-0 up, 2-1 up, 3-2 down and we managed to get back. Very pleased with the team performance.”

Lyme: Harp, J Sargent, G Knight, R Sargent (K Wellman 75), A Rowe, Turner, Garrett, Brimicombe, B Rowe, Kilcoyne (Bond 65), Bradley.