BRIDPORT RESERVES 0 SOUTH CHERITON UNITED 3

A SLUGGISH start from Bridport Reserves cost them any chance of recording their second league win of the season as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat against South Cheriton United.

The Bees, who were missing Jack Scovell and Will Gape for the encounter, fell behind after around 10 minutes.

Home skipper Luke King then went close as his left-footed volley was stabbed off the line by the Cherries, and soon after the visitors had the points pretty much wrapped up.

On target for the away side was Lee Clark, Paul Farley and Michael Rousell.

“I was hugely disappointed,” said Bridport manager Shaun Annetts. “We knew we were in for a tough night.

“We found ourselves 3-0 down and they had three chances. Lee (Cleal, goalkeeper) didn’t have to touch the ball really, apart from picking it out of the back of the net.

“It was down to some shoddy defending.

"We have managed to concede nine goals in three games now and I would probably say only one of them has been a good goal.

“We need to stop that happening very quickly.

“It’s basic collective and individual errors, and you can’t give a team a three-goal start.

“We had a few words at half-time about conceding again.”

The Bees did up their game after the break and chances fell to Dan Peach, Robin Jones and Josh Baker.

But league new boys South Cheriton held firm to continue their impressive start to the season.

“They looked like they didn’t want to concede,” Annetts added.

“Their captain was a very good player at centre-back and you could see they had the mentality where they didn’t want to concede goals.

“They made last-ditch tackles and blocks, and that’s what I want to see from our lads.

“In the last three games we have started poorly in the first half and made massive strides in the second half.

“It’s not like we are changing the players at half-time. It just seems like we go out there with a better attitude.

“We just need to look at the positives from the second-half performance and take them into Saturday.”

The Bees, now with four points from their opening four league fixtures, host champions Hamworthy Recreation on Saturday (3pm).

Bees: Cleal, East, Stordy, King, Herbst, Fleet, Neale, Blair, Peach, Jones, Hunter. Subs: Cummings, Baker, Fourarce.

Meanwhile, Weymouth Reserves host Balti Sports at the Bob Lucas Stadium on Thursday night (7.45pm).