Bees hit by late double (From This is Hampshire)

Bees hit by late double

8:51am Monday 22nd March 2010 in

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OLDLAND ABB 2 BRIDPORT 0

AGGRIEVED Trevor Senior thought his Brid-port side deserved more than to return from high-flying Oldland Abbotonians empty-handed.

The Bees entered Saturday’s match on the back of three successive Toolstation Western League Division One victories but departed with nothing to show for their efforts.

Oldland netted twice inside the final 15 minutes to extinguish a gutsy visiting display and claim the double, having won at St Mary’s Field last November.

Senior could not fault his men, for whom this was their fourth assignment in eight days, but did question a dubious refereeing decision in the build-up to the hosts’ opener.

Reflecting on the defeat, he said: “Both sides had chances to win the game and considering the way we played we didn’t deserve to lose.

“We could have been 3-0 up by half-time and we defended well all game. It was another good performance and I couldn’t have asked any more of the lads.

“Oldland’s first goal should never have stood. A free-kick should have been awarded for a foul on Jamie Fry but the referee waved play on and they ended up scoring.

“I don’t want to slag off referees but I was disappointed with some of his decisions and the one that led to the first goal was a prime example.”

The Bees’ chief, whose side have fallen one place to 12th, added: “This game was similar to the one at home and on both occasions we should have got something.”

Senior made three changes to the starting XI that demolished Shepton Mallet less than 48 hours earlier, with skipper Darren Lock, Sam Charles and Ryan Hayter all reinstated.

Reserve team regulars Carl Bulman and Adam Stordy dropped out of the squad altogether along with the unavailable Chris Clarke.

Neither Adam Symes nor Charles could convert promising opportunities in the early stages, before the former hit the bar from 30 yards and Ashley Clarke headed over.

After half-time the Bees were forced into a rearguard action and managed to resist a predatory Oldland attack until the game’s flashpoint arose.

Stand-in custodian Fry appeared to have been impeded as he attempted to grasp a cross, but the referee had witnessed nothing untoward and the ball was eventually nodded home by Matt Huxley, much to the annoyance of boss Senior.

However hard the visitors tried to rescue a point, an equaliser was not forthcoming and their fate was sealed when Oldland added a second goal in the dying minutes.

Bees: Fry, A Symes, A Clarke, Lock, Senior, Hayter, J Symes, Wise, Charles (M Bulman 75), Watts, Cummings.

* Bridport Reserves’ Dorset Premier League match versus Cranborne fell foul of a waterlogged St Mary’s Field pitch.