BRIDPORT RESERVES 2 WAREHAM RANGERS 3

BRIDPORT Reserves go into their final game of the season at home to Poole Borough this afternoon (3pm) off the back of a narrow defeat to Wareham Rangers on Saturday.

In their first game without former boss Robin Townsend, new chief Shaun Annetts worked with Mark Lock as the Bees signalled their intent with their team selection.

Annetts told Echosport: “Mark Lock, who was Robin’s number two, decided that he wanted to continue to have the overall say and I was happy for that to happen.

“We went with a fairly attacking formation in a 4-3-3 and in the first half we were very pleased. We created some decent opportunities.”

Despite having their share of sights on goal, Bridport fell behind just short of the interval.

A fairly soft free-kick was conceded by the Bees and a Wareham attacker drilled the ball past stand-in gloveman Adam Stordy to open the scoring.

Following the break, Bridport’s Dan Baggs then picked up a nasty cut to his elbow, meaning the Bees were left a man light to defend a set-piece and the visitors made no mistake in capitalising on their brief numerical advantage to make it 2-0.

The Bees then looked to get back into the game and started to create some clear opportunities, and got their reward when Tristan Gale crossed for substitute Roger Cummings to pull a goal back.

The momentum was with the home side at this point and they threw men forward in search of a leveller.

But Bridport got caught out by a neat chipped finish from the visitors, who put daylight back between the teams once again.

Jack Scovell then teed up Ben Clarke to make it 3-2, but the Bees’ couldn’t find a third to seal a draw to start their new regime.

Annetts added: “I think that we deserved at least a point out of the game.

“There were a lot of positives and some good individual performances.

“Three points would have been great but we move on.

"We will try and get a win at home in our last game and then have the summer to build for next year.”

Bees: Stordy, Baggs, Day, Dunlop, Herbst, Clarke, Fleet, S Gale (Cummings), T Gale, Scovell, Baker (Rh Hayter). Sub not used: Fouracre.