WELTON 1, BRIDPORT 1

BRIDPORT saw a rare victory snatched from their grasp in stoppage time at West Clewes.

Over two minutes of added time had been played when Welton launched one last raid at the Bridport goal.

A Bees defence that had manfully soaked up the pressure all afternoon suddenly creaked and cracked and Steve French was through to bury a low shot past Martin Peters.

It was heart-breaking for Bridport but at least the draw checked a run of seven successive league defeats. But they remain at the foot of the Screwfix Direct Premier Division.

"It's a start," said player-manager Derek Walkey. "We would have taken the draw at three o'clock, so we'll accept it at five o'clock.

"I did not think we played as well in the second-half as the first. We allowed them to dictate which was a bit disappointing.

"They had four or five good chances to level before they did. Then we had two chances to win it near the end but did not take them and then conceded an equaliser.

"The boys are gutted. They worked hard and put in the effort. But if Welton had taken one of their chances with 25 minutes to go, they might have been sitting

in there with no points at all."

The Bees looked more solid than in some recent performances with the back three of Bob Cadman, Neil Copeland and Tom Gardner resolute in front of an alert and competent Peters.

And the driving, powerful play of Richard Middleton made him the game's top midfield player despite twisting a knee in the pre-match warm-up.

The Bees took a tenth minute lead when Simon Gale, back after injury, seized on a loose ball to set up a raid from just outside the peanlty-area.

He fed Gardner who moved the ball through to Andy Hitchcock who turned and tucked a low shot past Ken Scrivens from ten yards.

It was a strike that ended a Bridport goal famine that had lasted 425 minutes.

Bridport held on to their lead in relative comfort for the remainder of the half against an uninspired home side.

Welton, though, piled on the pressure after the break and were denied a 53rd minute equaliser when Peters thrust out a hand to turn away a shot from Simon Ford. Then French shot wide of an open goal after Peters had blemished an otherwise faultless display by failing to clear a through ball after advancing beyond his penalty-area.

Weldon pressed but remained wasteful in front of goal and it was an affliction that spread to the other end when substitute Graham White twice failed to hit the target after being offered acceptable chances to seal Bridport's first league win since the second Saturday of the season.

The hope of victory vanished right at the end but Bridport seemed more relieved with the acquisition of one point than depressed at the loss of two.

Bridport: Peters; Pashen, Gardner, Cadman, Copeland, J Gisborne, Taylor, Middleton, S Gale (White 75), Hitchcock, T John. Sub (not used); Walkey.