MERLEY COBHAM SPORTS 6

BRIDPORT RESERVES 0

BRIDPORT Reserves exited the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance Senior Trophy at the quarter-final stage as Merley Cobham Sports showed all their experience in a 6-0 win.

The game began evenly, in fact Bridport were probably the more settled side.

However, Merley did take the lead in the 13th minute when a failed clearance fell to the feet of Dan Edwards some 20 yards out and he hit a crisp drive into the bottom-left corner of the net.

Bridport responded well as Callum Arnold flashed a shot across the box and home keeper Andy Knights was happy to see it skip just wide.

READ MORE: Bridport Reserves 2-0 Sturminster Marshall - match report

Cobham began to get some flow to their game but the final pass let them down on occasions but in the 38th minute they increased their lead when Nathan Walker caused confusion in the Bridport central defence.

His ball found Daniel Reeks 20 yards out and he hit a cracker into the far corner roof of the net for a 2-0 half-time lead.

Cobham came out of the blocks far the better in the second period, creating more chances as Bridport defended superbly to clear a Matt Groves shot off the line.

Bridport repeated the trick in the 57th minute when an effort from Edwards was again hoisted to safety off the line.

However, the pressure eventually told as Merley made it three in the 60th minute.

Groves played a ball to Callum Perry and he hit a stunner from fully 20 yards on the angle into the far corner of the net.

Just a minute later, Edwards got his second of the game when Knights found Walker who nodded on to Edwards and he rounded the keeper at pace to slot home for 4-0.

It was mostly Cobham now with Bridport threatening on the counter occasionally but in the 69th minute Cobham made it five when an excellent corner was headed home by Walker.

And the scoring was rounded off in the 82nd minute when James Cherrett was brought down unceremoniously in the box and player-manager Groves finished from the spot.

Merley join Blandford, Sturminster Newton and the winners of Dorchester Sports against Wimborne Reserves in the semi-finals.

Bridport Reserves visit Sturminster Marshall on Saturday (2pm).