WESTBURY UNITED 1

Price 17

BRIDPORT 1

King 90+3

LUKE King grabbed a last-gasp equaliser to bag Bridport a point with his first ever goal for the senior side, in a 1-1 draw at Westbury United in the Toolstation Western League Premier Division.

Dan Price had nodded the high-flying home side into the lead after 17 minutes but Bridport held on and were able to equalise through King late on.

Bridport started brightly and inside the first minute Ed Butcher flashed a free-kick across goal.

Westbury got their reward when they went long in the 17th minute down the right-hand side and earned a corner.

Ian Jeffery’s corner was then nodded in by Price for the home side.

The Bees had a couple of chances in search of a reply.

Butcher flashed a ball across goal which Mark Salter made contact with but could not beat Ed Baldy in the Westbury goal while Leighton Thomas then jinked his way through and smashed a shot across the box.

The Bees were unable to break through as Westbury went in at the break a goal ahead.

Bridport started the second period brightly but were unable to craft a real chance, whereas Westbury soon missed a golden opportunity when they missed a free header.

The second half was a mostly quiet affair until Westbury’s Callum Demkiv earned a second yellow card and was sent off.

Bridport were able to capitalise when Ben Morris whipped in a late corner for King to take the crucial touch and earn a point.

Bees boss Adam Fricker, said: “A last minute goal always makes it sweeter, it was certainly deserved. I think to be perfectly honest for us it was one of those games where we just had to get the job done.

“The pitch was probably the worst I have seen in the Western League.

“It did not really allow us to be able to play any of our football so your likes of Ed (Butcher), Leighton (Thomas), Ben Morris and Kam Andrews really struggled to get into the game because we just could not play any football.

“I think it proved that, Westbury just played a long ball all of the time and we had to adapt our game and do exactly the same in the second half.

“Not a spectacle but a deserved point.”

Bridport travel to Cribbs on Wednesday (7.45).

Bridport: Hutchings, Condliffe, King, Martin, Cox, Andrews, Peach, Thomas (Clark 65), Morris, Butcher, Salter

Subs not used: Cornish, Symes

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