BRIDPORT 0

PLYMOUTH PARKWAY 5

Williams 34, 87, Calver 36, Carter 73, Dovell 82 og

TEN-MAN Bridport sustained a second heavy loss in two Toolstation Western League Premier Division games as early leaders Plymouth Parkway romped to a 5-0 win at St Mary’s Field.

Early signs had been promising for the Bees until Robinson Okumu was harshly sent off in the 26th minute for two bookable offences.

Sensing an opportunity against 10 men, Parkway pounded forward and forced Scott Wells-Burr into two solid stops before Bridport’s Jacob Coombs flashed a shot wide of goal.

Plymouth took the lead in the 34th minute, though, as Fletcher Williams stole in to score before a fortuitous deflected second from Jack Calver left Wells-Burr motionless two minutes later.

A 2-0 half-time lead seemed flattering to Parkway but the Devon side ramped up the pressure in the second half, Wells-Burr and a goalmouth clearance keeping the visitors at bay.

Parkway kept chipping away and were rewarded in the 73rd minute with a breath-taking third goal on the counter as Calver and sub Adam Carter raced upfield, the latter slotting past Wells-Burr.

The floodgates were suddenly opened and after assistant-boss Ryan Dovell scored a second own goal of the season to make it 4-0, another counter-attack produced the fifth as Wells-Burr parried Williams’ shot back to the striker to claim his brace in the 87th minute.

Bridport now occupy bottom position in the standings with a minus eight goal difference from two games.

Speaking to Echosport, Dovell admitted Bridport’s plans to contain Parkway were hindered by Okumu’s red card.

He said: “Plymouth Parkway are going to be one of the favourites to win the league and rightly so, they’re a very accomplished side.

“The line-up they’ve got is probably more of a Southern league standard, the way they set up is one of the best I’ve seen in my time in the Western League – they’re a good side.

“We knew it was going to be tough right from the start and we set up in a way which isn’t the way Rich (Robson, manager) would want to.

“We set up to try and frustrate them, try and defend, because we knew roughly how they were going to play – I felt we were (holding Parkway).

“Then Robinson was sent off. It was quite close to our dug out and, from speaking to Rich and the linesman, neither felt it was a second bookable offence. Saying that, it was always going to be a tough game.”

Bridport host Shepton Mallet on Tuesday (7.45pm).

Bees: Wells-Burr, Coombs, Dovell, Richardson, Wall (Hewitt 70), Gall, Cornish, White (Leader 65), Okumu, Thompson, Phillips. Sub not used: Cuff

Attendance: 153

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