BRIDPORT 0
DORCHESTER TOWN U23 5
JOEL Hewitt scored a deadly hat-trick as Dorchester Town Under-23s thumped Bridport 5-0 at a drenched St Mary’s Field.
This was a second friendly in two weeks for Bridport’s first team against Oakley Hanger’s young Magpies, following a 3-1 loss at the Avenue Stadium.
Dorchester had the benefit of greater match sharpness and fitness against their Western League opponents, who competed well in the first half.
Bridport thought they had taken the lead in the seventh minute, only for Jake Owen’s close-range finish to be disallowed for offside.
Magpies’ midfielders Ben Symes and Ben Fowles went off as rolling subs midway through the half, replaced by Ben Morris and Jordi Foot.
And highly-rated centre-back Foot nearly scored within two minutes of his introduction, heading a corner against the far post.
READ MORE: Brin Doyle bags brace as Magpies' U23s beat Bees
Hewitt should have opened his account in the first half, showing great strength to engineer a one-on-one with Jordan Scadding, only for the Bees’ keeper to produce an excellent low save.
Bridport cleared the resulting corner and scampered upfield with Elliot Rossiter dribbling 50 yards and firing at Magpies’ keeper Mike Edgar.
There was a moment of alarm for Josh Baxter as a sloppy pass handed Bridport a counter-attacking chance, only for Tony Carlile to blaze over, before Leon Wood forced a magnificent flying stop from Edgar.
Bridport had ended the half the stronger side but the Bees were defused by a stunning second-half display from the Magpies.
It took just three minutes of the second half for Hewitt to score, tucking home well from 10 yards out.
Five minutes later, Bridport could only clear a corner as far as Morris, whose wickedly dipping shot squirmed through the grasp of Scadding.
Then came the defining spell of the game as two goals in a minute from Hewitt killed the contest.
The striker controlled a pinpoint Josh Leake cross and unleashed a devastating finish past Scadding before guiding home a sumptuous volley from a beautiful Morris cross.
Dorchester had scored four goals in 16 minutes but were lucky not to be reduced to 10 men when last man Foot earned just a yellow for bringing down Wood, Carlile bending the free-kick wide.
Morris and Dan Neild were denied chances before Morris grabbed another assist.
The wing wizard’s cross from the left picked out Foot for a clinical volley, rounding off a miserable night for the Bees.
Bees: Jo Scadding, Chinnock, Ja Scadding, Owen, Adler, Lawrence-Napier, Wood, Burwood, Rossiter, Carlile, A Steele. Subs: Blango, James, Gear, Fry.
Magpies: Edgar, Phillips, Gosney, Carter, Baxter, Callow, Fowles, Hewitt, Neild, Leake, Symes. Subs: Morris, Foot, Tennant, J Steele.
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