BRIDPORT v BITTON

TREVOR Senior reckons the Bees are not far away from challenging the best the Western League has to offer.

Bridport, without star striker Ryan Dovell, outplayed Premier Division leaders Larkhall Ath-letic for long periods last Saturday but eventually fell to a 4-1 defeat – a result that did not reflect the game, according to their boss.

Senior said: “Larkhall are now unbeaten in 19 league games but, as last Saturday showed, they are not streets ahead of us.

“We proved that we are not that far away and, on another day, we might well have got something from it.

“We were certainly more than a match for them and, for long periods, played the better football.”

That defeat to the Larks ended Bridport’s seven-game unbeaten streak in the league but, with Dovell back available for tomorrow’s home clash with Bitton (3pm), hopes are high that another run is just around the corner.

Senior added: “We beat Bitton 2-1 at their place earlier in the season, which was our first win there for a long time.

“They are just below us in the league and, if we could beat them again tomorrow, it would be a great result.

“It is pretty tight in the middle of the table at the moment.

“We have played more games than most but there is still a lot of football to be played, and if we were to put another run together it could put us in a really good position.”

Senior’s son, Chris, is also set to return this weekend but Chris Clarke is a doubt due to a niggling knee problem, which is still not 100 per cent.

The Bees currently lie 10th in the league on the same points as Bitton, who hold two games in hand.

Bees: S Filkins, J Filkins, C Clarke, Hill, Staines, Condliffe, Evans, Watts, Hayter, Luke, Wise, Richardson, M Buckler, Morley.