POOLE BOROUGH 5 BRIDPORT RESERVES 1

BRIDPORT manager Robin Townsend delivered a damning assessment of his side’s abject performance in defeat at struggling Poole Borough on Saturday.

Townsend thought he had seen it all when the Bees were knocked out of the Dorset Senior Trophy by the Poole club’s reserve team last November.

But the weekend’s horror show left him describing the visitors’ display as “absolutely disgusting” and, not for the first time this season, “one of the worst performances” he has seen.

Bridport trailed 4-1 at half-time, Michael Hailu getting their goal, before Poole, who are 16th out of the 17 teams in the Dorset Premier League, added a fifth in the second half to complete the rout.

“We were 2-0 down after 10 minutes through individual mistakes,” said Townsend. “We got ourselves back into it from a corner but then our keeper was beaten by a free-kick from 40 yards.

“We just weren’t at the races and went in at half-time 4-1 down. We were a little bit better in the second half but our keeper was beaten by another 40-yard free-kick.

“We had chances and it could have ended 10-9, but it was one of those days and we were very disappointing in the first half.

“You name it, it all went wrong. We made wrong decisions and gave the ball away cheaply. They wanted it more than we did.”

Townsend admits Saturday’s defeat has given him food for thought looking at his long-term plans for the squad.

“I feel I’ve wasted my time and the coaching team’s time going up there to put in a performance which was disgusting,” he added.

“Things look like they will have to be changed for next season.”

The Bees have five games left this season and go to Parley Sports next on Saturday (3pm).

And Townsend will want to see a reaction from his troops at Christchurch Road.

Bees: B Fleet, King, Day, A Clarke, Steele, Cummings, Peart (Legg 44), T Gale (McAllister 35), Mc-Clements, Hailu, Scovell