BITTON 1 BRIDPORT 2

THE Bees picked up their first league victory of the season at the third time of asking at Bitton on Saturday.

Bridport fell behind in the Toolstation Western Premier Division clash but fought back and took the points thanks to goals from loan-signing Steve Smith and the impressive Dan Wise.

The victory did not come without controversy though as boss Trevor Senior explained. He told Echosport: “We played well in the first half and were a bit unfortunate to go a goal down.

“We cleared a corner but one of their guys controlled it 30 yards out and sent in a very good strike, which Sam Filkins could only parry out, allowing one of their lads to stick in the rebound.

“From where I was it looked like two of their players were in offside positions in the six-yard box in the lead up to it but thankfully it didn’t matter in the end.

“We continued to play some good stuff with Sam Charles having a couple of chances before Steve Smith got us level from inside the six-yard box after Chris Clarke had headed the ball across.

“That is how it stayed up until the interval and for the first 10 minutes of the second half we carried on from where we had left off.

“There was then a scrappy period before Max Buckler went on a run and just when it looked like he had lost the ball, he went down in the box and the referee pointed to the spot.

“For me it wasn’t a penalty but we took that bit of luck and Dan Wise stuck it away to make it 2-1.

“After that there was then another incident where Steve Smith got completely upended in the box but this time the ref didn’t give it despite being just a few yards away.

“That one was a stonewall penalty so in many respects the two decisions evened themselves out.

“As you would expect Bitton then pushed on in the closing stages but we defended well and apart from their goal in the first half, Sam Filkins never really had another save to make.”

When asked what the victory meant to him, Senior went on to add: “It meant a lot. Not only has it got us off the mark in the league but I think on all my previous visits to Bitton, I have never come away with anything, so in that regard it was even more pleasing.”

Bees: S Filkins, J Filkins, C Clarke, Evans, M Buckler, Hayter, Legg, Wise, Charles (Hill 70), Smith, Condliffe. Subs not used: Morley, Staines.