BRIDPORT 6

DARTMOUTH 2

BRIDPORT clinched an emphatic 6-2 victory over South West Peninsula League Premier East bottom side Dartmouth to round off their home fixtures in style.

Bridport have now won their past three games in front of their home faithful and treated a 245-strong crowd to their biggest margin of victory this season.

However, two goals conceded will irritate the Bees, who have shipped the most goals (54) of any team in the top four.

Just as they did in the reverse fixture, Dartmouth took the lead as Josh Clarke punished a sloppy clearance in the 18th minute.

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Bridport were not behind for long as skipper Luke King headed home a Riley Weedon corner.

And the Bees got themselves in front before half-time when Fred Parsons laced a through ball for teenage striker Kieran Coombs to slot home.

Bridport cashed in heavy pressure at the beginning of the second half with their third goal as Parsons touched home following a scrappy attack.

Dartmouth instantly pulled a goal back as Clarke evaded the offside trap to score from just outside the box in the 52nd minute.

Dartmouth keeper Joseph Moroney escaped a calamitous own goal when he fell on a loose ball caused by a drop in the increasingly greasy conditions caused by rain.

Bridport stepped up a gear in the final portion of the game as Kieren Daniels prodded home Sol Ayunga’s cross from three yards.

Ayunga got on the scoresheet soon after, converting James Cox’s left-wing cross, before Darren Lock grabbed a rare goal, nodding in from all of a yard following King’s deft header across goal.

Speaking post-match, Herbst did not hide his displeasure with what he perceived as Bridport’s slack defending.

He said: “First half we gave up a silly goal and we were in control of the game. We’ve got to learn to see teams off.

“The quality of player in the dressing room, we should be turning teams like this over. No disrespect, but they’re bottom and we’re second for a reason.

“Second half, they’ve done what we wanted them to and they’ve done really well, but we shouldn’t take a half of football to do that.

“That’s probably why we’re not in the title race or further adrift of the teams trying to catch us.”

On the six-goal haul, Bridport said: “I’m really pleased. We had all these chances, so it’s nice to score.

“But it’s just frustrating conceding sloppy goals. We’ve conceded 54 and that’s not good enough. It’s nowhere near going to win a league.

“That’s something we need to seriously address to be in contention for the league.”

With results going in their favour, Bridport are second and in pole position for an FA Cup spot next season going into Tuesday’s finale at Axminster (7.30pm).

Bees: Hutchings, Gall (Brooks 54), King, Parsons (Cox 61), Weedon (Lock 61), Coombs (T Diaz 67), Calverley, Leader, Daniels, A Diaz (Maunsell 67), Ayunga.

Attendance: 245.