Sorry slump for Bridport

BRIDPORT'S abysmal record against the league's strugglers continued when they slumped to defeat at Horsdon Park on Tuesday.

Having already lost to lowly Dawlish, Devizes and Melksham this season, the Bees latest embarrassment came against an Elmore side who had failed to win a match since August.

The workmanlike Eagles played with the determination of a team desperate to end a run of 13 straight defeats, hustling and harrying the visitors for the whole 90 minutes.

Their goal led a somewhat charmed life in the first period as Bridport set up camp in the home half, but having survived until the interval, Elmore sensed the opportunity for a rare victory and visibly grew in stature in the second half.

Richard Blake sneaked the winner on 68 minutes - the Eagles' first goal in over 600 minutes of football - and they never looked like surrendering their lead.

Dejected Bees boss Bob Russell admitted the hosts deserved the win. He said: "Unfortunately it's one of the games where we came here expecting to win. Everything we were trying wasn't coming off for us and we started to lose our discipline which is the most important thing.

"Once that discipline had gone we started to look a bit ragged and disjointed and we lost our shape.

"I was very disappointed with the goal - I would have expected us to deal with the initial ball."

Elmore made a couple of purposeful inroads from the kick off with both Chris Bedford and Jason Reeves blazing shots wide and Colin Taylor firing straight at Ian Linney.

But it was all Bridport from then on. Dean Ritchie put a diving header wide following great work on the right by Mike Flann.

On the half hour, a fine diagonal ball from Gary McAuley picked out James Thompson, who controlled it well on his chest but failed to connect properly with his left foot.

Seconds later, Elmore got in a muddle 10 yards out and Ritchie pounced on the loose ball only to see his powerful drive beaten out by keeper Adrian Pullin.

On 38 minutes, Ritchie lost his footing at the vital moment after Danny Wilson threaded the ball through, then the pair contrived to waste Bridport's best chance two minutes later.

Wilson scooped the ball over the keeper from the left edge of the six yard box. It looked to be going wide until Ritchie came at the far post to smash a volley straight at Richie Stephenson on the line with Pullin stranded.

McAuley saw a deflected effort from long range drop inches wide and there was still time for Dave Newland to send a header the wrong side of the post before the break.

Wilson fired over at the start of the second half and Pullin came out brilliantly to thwart McAuley as he raced clear.

But it was Elmore who snatched the lead with the simplest of goals. Andy Pearce sent a free kick towards the edge of the area from inside his own half and Blake nipped in to steer the ball over Martin Peters as Bridport failed to clear.

The Bees never looked like finding an equaliser despite reverting to 3-4-3 pushing Newland up front.

Substitute Andy Hitchcock, on the bench because of a groin injury, might have levelled in the final minute, but he took the shot early and Pullin palmed it to safety.

Bridport: Peters, Newland, Leach, Linney, Clark, McAuley, Thompson, Middleton, Ritchie (Hitchcock 77mins), Wilson, Flann. Subs not used: Austin, Russell.