BRIDPORT RES 3 HAMWORTHY REC 2

BOSS Mike Savage lauded his side’s “best result of the season” as Bridport Reserves upset promotion-chasing Hamworthy Recreation at St Mary’s Field.

The Reserves turned in arguably their finest performance of the season to orchestrate a victory that ends the visitors’ hopes of dethroning Portland United at the top of the Dorset Premier League.

Striker Ben Clarke silenced his critics with two goals either side of half-time before Paul Fellows popped up to apply the finishing touch to the decisive third.

Savage, who confessed to expecting defeat from this fixture, said: “This is definitely the best result of the season and the way we played we deserved to win.

“Normally we have to hang on to results but for 80 minutes we were the best side and we played some really good football at times.

“This is a massive confidence booster.”

Savage singled out defender Richard Pincombe, who he hopes to sign from Perry Street Premier Division outfit White Horse on a permanent deal in the close season, for special praise.

He added: “Richard Pincombe played really well, making a clearance off the line right at the death and he also knocked some great crosses into the box.”

Boosted by the inclusion of Shane Evans, the reserves exploded out of the blocks and went ahead on 26 minutes when Clarke capitalised on keeper Chris Willis’ fumble.

The ever-industrious Ben Ward marshalled the midfield superbly but his invention often went to waste as the home side were betrayed by poor finishing.

Jamie Moores equalised for Hamworthy just prior to the interval before Bridport turned the match on its head with two goals in three second-half minutes.

Firstly, Clarke pounced on another keeper error to tap home and when Fellows, whose acrobatic celebration demonstrated his nimble footwork, scored in similar fashion the Bees were buzzing.

Although Moores set up a nerve-wracking finale by heading his second of the night five minutes from time, it mattered not as the reserves earned their ninth league victory.

Bees: J Maidment, McClements (L Hayter 76), Pincombe, Boyer, Fellows, Cummings, Churchill, Ward, B Clarke (Penn 70), Evans, Jones