BRIDPORT RESERVES 4

SHERBORNE TOWN RESERVES 1

A BRACE from marksman Ben Clarke helped Bridport Reserves bring down the curtain on their season with a handsome victory.

The Bees overturned Sherborne Town Reserves 4-1 at St Mary’s Field on Saturday to finish with 49 points and in ninth position in the Magna Dorset Premier League.

Clarke opened the scoring five minutes prior to half-time and doubled his tally on the hour-mark before Roger Cummings made it 3-0 shortly afterwards.

Visitors Sherborne, whose form has been wretched in the last couple of months following an impressive start to the campaign, reduced the arrears with 10 minutes remaining.

However, lively midfielder Carl Bulman ensured there was to be no miraculous comeback by immediately replying with the home side’s fourth.

Steve Crabb was particularly pleased with the manner of his troops’ triumph, which made amends for the 5-0 capitulation against Westland Sports less than 48 hours earlier.

The joint-boss said: “We really didn’t want to finish the season with two defeats so it was nice to bounce back from the disappointment of Thursday night.

“We carved out several good openings in the first half but hadn’t taken anything until Ben scored just before the break.

“The second half was very similar but there was a feeling in the back of my mind that Sherborne could sneak something, because we were only one goal ahead.

“Fortunately we got two in a couple of minutes. Roger’s was the goal of the game, scoring with a flick volley from Adam Steele’s cross.”

After the culmination of last season, the reserves were languishing in 15th spot and had a meagre 25 points – featuring eight victories – to show for their endeavours.

But such has been their development under the tutelage of Crabb and Mark Lock that they have often upset the division’s heavyweights this term.

Crabb admitted he would have settled for his side’s final placing at the beginning of the campaign and believes the infrastructure is in place to make even bigger strides.

He added: “Our main objective at the start of the season was to get ourselves as close to the first team as possible, by moving as high up the league as we could.

“Overall, if somebody at the start of the season had offered me ninth position I’d have bitten their hand off.

“The aim for next season has got to be to improve by a couple of places and gain even more points, and there is no doubt that we have the talent here to do that.

“Everybody is staying so you’d imagine that we are only going to get stronger, and the experience of this season is only going to help us.”

Bees: Fry, Day, Lock (Pincombe 75), A Clarke, C Bulman, Herbst, Cummings, Steele, Jones, Cleal (Gale 60), B Clarke (McAllister 75).