Bridport 6-0 Weymouth & Portland: Daggers beat new league leaders

WEYMOUTH & PORTLAND 0

NEW league leaders Weymouth & Portland were beaten for the first time this season, losing 6-0 at Bridport.

This was the first time that the Seahorses did not get on the scoresheet in the current campaign.

Although, the losing bonus point they received bizarrely took them to the top of the Counties Two Tribute Dorset & Wilts South table, while Bridport now lie fifth.

With wet and windy conditions, and a ball like a bar of soap, it did not make for a very entertaining game with very few, if any, clean line breaks.

READ MORE: Wimborne Seconds 7-32 Weymouth & Portland - match report

It was a question of which defence would break first and the Daggers from one to 15 played their defensive hearts out to deny the visitors a score.

Playing with a strong crosswind, the Daggers kicked off the first half and were soon on the offensive, after conceding an early penalty Weymouth could not make touch, Bridport ran the ball back forcing a penalty, which Mitch Waters kicked long to touch and from the five-metre line-out Weymouth conceded a penalty. Waters judged the wind perfectly for the first score.

The Daggers were adapting better to the conditions and won another penalty, Waters’ effort this time just drifting wide.

And, after Weymouth & Portland were penalised for crossing, Waters’ third attempt for points hit the upright, bouncing clear.

Bridport, blue, set up a ruck against Weymouth & Portland during their 6-0 win (Image: STUART BRIGGS)

Both teams earned one sin-bin and there then followed a lengthy stoppage after Weymouth’s Khylo Farley received treatment for a suspected ankle ligament injury.

With the rain unrelenting, the referee sensibly sent both teams back to their dressing rooms.

From the restart, the Daggers’ pressure through their forwards resulted in another yellow card for Weymouth.

With the wind now increasing, Waters’ fourth attempt at goal again just drifted wide.

Bridport were using the wind sensibly not kicking too long and forcing Weymouth to play the ball and keeping them in their own half.

They eventually conceded yet another penalty from which Waters made no mistake to take the game to half-time with a 6-0 lead.

Weymouth & Portland responded in the second half by nearly scoring the game’s first try with a patient move but Luke Beynon was penalised for an infringement.

And the Seahorses' single penalty early in the half, despite going with the wind behind, fell just short from Hamish Jephcott.

As the game moved to a close in the gathering gloom, the Daggers’ forwards helped see the game out for a superb win.

Weymouth & Portland head coach Rich Bament said: "They played the elements in their favour and the majority of the time the ball was in our half.

"They didn't look they would score a try but we gave away a few silly penalties, they converted two from seven I think.

"We were rusty, that's what we put it down to. There were other things that happened during the game that I wasn't happy with, that stopped us dead in our tracks, basically.

"Any time we did try and get ourselves going, it was stopped. But, that's the way the cookie crumbles. They won 6-0 and nothing can change it.

"We look forward to the rematch."

Bridport’s final game before Christmas is home to Bournemouth Thirds on Saturday, while Weymouth & Portland host Lytchett Minster.

Ahead of the Lytchett game, Bament said: "We're pleased we're top of the pile but we know that when you're top everybody's gunning for you.

"They're all going to raise their game, so we've got to focus and play what's in front of you.

"Lytchett will be tough, they were tough before we toppled them at their place.

"I'm confident we should be OK that will lead us on to a big one at Oakmeadians just before Christmas."