POOLE BOROUGH 2

BRIDPORT RESERVES 3

BRIDPORT Reserves made hard work of their victory at Poole Borough, according to Steve Crabb.

The Bees’ joint-boss felt his side should have put the game to bed before half-time and in the end it took an 88th-minute strike from Dom McAllister to eventually decide matters.

Crabb said: “We played well in the first half and created loads of chances but at half-time the score was only 2-1.

“Ben Clarke and Adam Steele got the goals for us but before we opened the scoring we had missed four gilt-edged chances.

“In all honesty, we should have been four or five up and we paid the price when they pulled one back just before the break.

“That gave them a huge lift and in the second half they got on top and eventually levelled from the spot.

“The decision that led to the penalty looked a little dubious to me with their lad taking a tumble after breaking in between Adam and Dan Peart but it was very much game on after that with chances at either end.

“Fortunately, we went on to get the winner with two minutes remaining when Ben played in Dom, who tucked away a fine finish, but it could have easily gone the other way.

“Had the rest of the lads shown the same composure as Dom did then it would have been a lot more comfortable but any three points in this league away from home is a good achievement and it keeps us ticking over.”

The Bees remain eighth in the Magna Dorset Premier League table, two points adrift of Parley Sports with two games in hand, and five behind Chickerell United.

Crabb added: “We are still in with a shout of pushing up a place or two but it is not going to be easy.

“Parley beat Wincanton Town at the weekend, which was a massive result for them, but we have been going well of late as well, so there is no reason why we cannot push on over the next couple of weeks when the games are set to come thick and fast.”

The Bees are unbeaten in their last four but face a tough schedule of fixtures over the next fortnight. Their next match will see them travel to Blandford United on Monday, which kicks off a run of five games in just 12 days.

Bees: Cleal, Peart, Nott, A Clarke, C Bulman, McAllister, Cummings, B Clarke, Steele, Morgan, Hailu (Condliffe 70). Sub not used: M Lock.