BRIDPORT 3

BOVEY TRACEY 2

BRIDPORT launched a massive fightback from 2-0 down to beat Bovey Tracey 3-2 and keep their perfect home league record intact at St Mary’s Field.

The Bees looked in big trouble, trailing by two goals at half-time, before three strikes in ten minutes turned the game on its head.

Chris Herbst’s second-placed Bees maintain their pursuit of leaders Ivybridge, who beat Honiton 6-1, trailing the Devon side by six points with a game in hand.

However, the South West Peninsula League Premier East table picture was looking a little less rosy for Bridport after a sluggish first half.

READ MORE: Bridport 2-1 Bishops Lydeard - report

Concentration levels appeared to dip after Tom Richardson and Sol Ayunga missed glorious chances in the first three minutes, the latter hitting the underside of the bar.

They were punished when Bovey won a free-kick 20 yards from goal in the sixth minute, Neil Last beating Jordon Scadding with a deft finish.

Ayunga, Riley Weedon and Fred Parsons later saw chances come and go and once more Bovey cashed in on Bridport’s wastefulness with a second goal.

Bridport switched off from a Lewis Perring throw-in and Sean Finch played in Ollie Aplin, free on the right side of the box.

He hit a first-time shot through Scadding, who got good contact on his attempted save but could only look back in anguish as the ball trickled over for 2-0.

Bovey also hit the bar before the break and it took 20 minutes of the second half for Bridport to give themselves a lifeline as captain Luke King pounced on a loose ball from Richardson’s corner.

Bridport were now sparked into top gear and equalised on 71 minutes when Brad Rowe used his pace to sprint down the left and then execute a perfect ball for Richardson to finish from six yards.

And the turnaround was complete when Weedon reacted quickest to Darren Lock’s saved shot, burying a close-range effort for 3-2.

Bridport had little alarm in seeing out an eighth victory of the season, ahead of visiting Okehampton on Saturday (3pm).

Bees: Jo Scadding, Daniels, Owen (Lock 60), Parsons, King, Gall, Gape (Diaz 60), Ayunga (Rowe 46), Weedon, Brook, Richardson.

Attendance: 167.