Seven-up Bees despite Morgan seeing red (From This is Hampshire)

Seven-up Bees despite Morgan seeing red

8:16am Tuesday 4th December 2012 in Hampshire Sport By Adam Summers

POOLE BOROUGH 0 BRIDPORT RESERVES 7

JAMIE Morgan’s red card for two bookable offences took the gloss of this dominant performance from the Bees at Turlin Moor.

Having already picked up a caution for a mistimed tackle, the Bridport man was then sent off in the second half for failing to retreat 10 yards at a free-kick – a decision that disappointed Robin Townsend.

The Bridport boss said: “We only had two officials and when you get a club linesman it always makes it difficult for everyone concerned.

“We kept getting called offside and obviously some of the lads started to get a bit frustrated.

“The referee then came up to me at half-time and said although he sympathised with our situation, he wouldn’t take any more dissent in the second half, which was fair enough.

“I immediately warned the lads but just two minutes after the restart, Tristan Gale said something and stupidly got booked.

“Backing the referee’s decision, I then took Tristan off and brought on Jack Scovell but a few more contentious offside decisions were then given before the referee awarded Poole a free-kick.

“Jamie had already been booked but in my opinion had already gone back 10 yards when he stuck out a leg and blocked the ball.

“It hadn’t been a dirty game at all but the referee had obviously had enough and decided to show Jamie a second yellow card, which was very disappointing.

“Jamie was obviously frustrated when he came off and I am hoping on reflection the official might look at it again because to get sent off for that was very harsh indeed and it certainly took the edge off the win.”

When Michael Hailu volleyed home the opener from 20 yards on just seven minutes there was only ever going to be one winner.

The same player then doubled the advantage before Luke King grabbed a third with a clinical strike from a corner.

Tristan Gale and Ben Clarke then stretched the lead to five at half-time prior to Scovell going on to complete the rout with a well-taken brace.

Townsend added: “With Jamie Fry and Lee Cleal both out with knee injuries, Adam Stordy had to go in goal and he did a great job behind a very solid back four, who were all fantastic.

“We started really brightly and as soon as Michael put us ahead you could see the fight drain out of the opposition.

“Away from home if we are geared up for it, we are a very hard side to beat but for some reason our home form has not quite mirrored that.

“We played some fantastic football at times on a very difficult pitch at Poole, yet at St Mary’s, on probably the best surface in the league, we seem to struggle, which is something we need to change.”

The Bees, who host Sturminster Marshall in the third round of the Dorset Senior Trophy this Saturday, are now eight unbeaten in the Magna Dorset Premier League where they currently sit fifth.

Bees: Stordy, Day, King, C Bulman, Steele, Cummings (Fleet 55), G Bulman, Hailu (McAllister 60), Morgan, B Clarke, Gale (Scovell 50).

* Dominic Rowe has left the Bees and rejoined Lyme Regis. Townsend said: “I can understand why he has done it but I just wish he had given it a bit longer.

The Poole game was also Roger Cummings’ last one for a while as he has gone out to Australia. The fact we have lost both of them is a bit gutting.”