BRIDPORT 0 ROMAN GLASS 0

BRIDPORT failed to score for the first time in nine matches as they played out a goalless draw with Roman Glass St George last night.

While the much-publicised volcanic ash has been grounding aircraft across the country, the Bees also found themselves unable to take flight against the third-from-bottom visitors.

Trevor Senior’s charges carved out countless goalscoring opportunities under the St Mary’s Field floodlights but looked toothless in attack and paid a heavy price by not claiming maximum points.

The ubiquitous Dan Wise was the source of virtually all the home side’s imagination and creativity, although even he could not unearth a goal on a frustrating evening.

A share of the spoils took Bridport’s unbeaten home run into double figures, but they now trail 10th-placed Cadbury Heath by three points with just three matches remaining.

Boss Senior made a trio of alterations from the line-up that started the Les Phillips Cup semi-final against Bishop Sutton, with Darren Watts, Chris Senior and Chris Clarke all being omitted.

Into those voids came the fit-again Matt Condliffe, Roger Cummings and Gary Bulman – the latter two comprising a new-look strike partnership.

Wise nearly made the breakthrough on seven minutes when he latched on to Bulman’s neat flick-on and sashayed into the box before firing wide of the target.

The Bees appeared eager to test at every opportunity Roman Glass custodian Simon Venn, whose unorthodox technique involved him saving many efforts with his body and not his hands.

Venn was constantly being pressurised whereas his opposite number Jamie Fry, who had almost single-handedly kept his side in contention on Saturday, was virtually redundant at the other end.

Dan Jones saw a shot creep narrowly over the woodwork before Cummings had a header cleared off the line by a backpedalling Roman Glass defender.

Into the second period, Condliffe’s twinkle-toes enabled him to wriggle past several opponents but he could not find the target with just the keeper to beat.

With Wise orchestrating proceedings from midfield, the Bees laid siege to the visitors’ goal only to find their shooting boots deserting them – Cummings shooting tamely when in acres of space.

Substitute Chris Symes then spurned a gift-wrapped opportunity to grab all three points in the dying minutes when he blazed over after Wise’s shot had been blocked.

Roman Glass had offered nothing in attack all match but nearly snatched the most unlikely of smash-and-grab victories in stoppage time as Dave Scott’s 40-yard effort cannoned off the bar.

Although a draw was confirmed, for Bridport it was a case of two points dropped and they will rue this result should their pursuit of a spot in the top half of Toolstation Western League Division One prove fruitless.

Next up for the Bees is a home match against Westbury United tomorrow night (7.45pm).

Bees: Fry, A Symes, Condliffe, Lock, Hill, Hayter, J Symes, Wise, Cummings, G Bulman (C Symes 62), Jones (C Bulman 62).

Booked: Hayter Man of the Match: Alan Hill Attendance: 61