SEVEN goals in 29 chaotic first half minutes saw Bovey Tracey earn a comfortable victory away at Bridport in the Peninsula Premier East yesterday [September 3].
The travelling side were a threat every time they went forward, with Ollie Aplin (2), Neil Last (2), Lee Hildreth, Mitch Thomas and Cal Leech all capitalising to get on the scoresheet.
The Dorset-based hosts replied with a consolation in each half – through Yu Bosley Yang and Callum Arnold – to leave a final scoreline of 7-2 in Bovey’s favour.
Centre-half Hildreth headed the Moorlanders’ first clear chance of the game narrowly over the bar with 12 minutes gone, shortly before firing his side in front.
Spotting home stopper Kian Wooton off his line, Hildreth gracefully lofted the ball over the retreating keeper’s head from just inside his own half.
Seven minutes later Bovey doubled their lead. The ball was won back high up the pitch, leading to Thomas squaring for the unmarked Aplin to tap in on the line.
Provider turned scorer for the third goal with 25 minutes on the clock as Thomas cut in from the right-hand side and bent in an effort which Wooton got a good hand to but couldn’t keep out.
First half carnage
A bonkers spell just after the half-hour mark would then see four goals scored in as many minutes.
First Bosley Yang headed in Mohammed Hereka’s corner to get Bridport on the scoresheet and reduce the deficit.
Then Last went straight up the other end and repaid the favour by nodding in at the far post, moments before Aplin side-footed in his second and Bovey’s fifth.
Thomas then had a shot tipped around the post by Wooton, but a well-worked routine from the resulting corner led to Leech crossing for Last to head home his second.
Just as spectators were catching their breath, Leech got in on the act four minutes before the break when he was played through the middle and calmly picked out the bottom corner.
The second half was a relative non-event by comparison, as the home side battened down the hatches and Bovey struggled for any more motivation.
Moorlanders boss Will Small did take the opportunity to ring the changes, with Tom Burt, Finn Roberts, Jack Snellgrove, Tom Mortimore and James Deselincourt all getting good minutes from the bench.
To the delight of the home fans it was Bridport who would have the final say, when substitute Arnold turned smartly on the edge of the box and curled the ball into the top corner as the clock ticked past 90 minutes.
Mitch was our best player, says Small
At full-time, Bovey manager Small was pleased with the manner of his side’s first half display as they made it 18 goals scored in their last three games.
‘It’s a long way to come, probably one of the furthest ones we’ll have,’ said Small. ‘We’d have taken three points and a five-goal winning margin before coming up here.
‘In the first half we were good. I thought the front three were very good with their movement and pressing.
‘Lasty’s two goals were both headers with good football leading up to them and it was nice for Ollie [Aplin] to get a couple more too.
‘I thought Mitch [Thomas] was very good today as well – probably our best player – scoring a goal and getting a couple of assists for himself.
‘But in the second half it was hard to motivate ourselves and ever get going really. We got what we deserved – we didn’t play at all well and didn’t do the basics that we did in the first half.
‘But overall we take the positives from the game. It’s three points in the bag and we can look ahead to next Saturday.’