BRIDPORT 4

King 4, Weedon 11, 38, Rowe 89

AXMINSTER TOWN 2

Hebditch 33 pen, Daniels 34 og

BRIDPORT completed the double over Axminster Town with a fully merited 4-2 victory at St Mary’s Field.

Looking to bounce back from Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to Honiton, Bridport got off to a flying start with two goals in the opening 11 minutes.

Jack Wright’s tracer bullet of a free-kick from near the halfway line honed in on its target and Luke King only needed the slightest touch on his header to divert the ball beyond Alex Cooper.

Seven minutes later, ex-Tiverton centre-back Jamie Price did not help his side by barrelling through Tom Richardson to concede a free-kick, Riley Weedon curling home into the bottom-right corner for 2-0.

READ MORE: Honiton Town 2-1 Bridport - report

Former Bridport centre-back Chris McGrath and King traded wayward headers before Bridport should have netted a third, Richardson unable to divert James Cox’s shot on target.

McGrath then won a bizarre penalty ten metres from the ball as he was tripped in the area and another former Bridport player, Richard Hebditch, lashed the penalty into the top-left corner.

Fewer than 60 seconds later, Axminster had a fortuitous equaliser.

Jordon Scadding parried Charlie Wilson’s shot into Kieren Daniels’ path and the Bridport right-back could only thump his attempted clearance into the back of the net for an own goal.

The Tigers were only on level terms for four minutes as Bridport won possession back in Axminster’s third and Weedon ignored options left and right to bend another low shot beyond Cooper for 3-2.

Bridport sniffed a fourth goal before the break as Cooper got down sharply to keep out Fred Parsons’ fizzer and Will Gape missed the target with a back-post header.

After the break, Cooper produced a good block to deny Gape when the outstanding Weedon raided down the right.

However, the Bees’ task was made easier when Oscar Latas picked up a soft second booking in midfield.

Axminster rallied after going down to ten men but failed to create a serious chance, duly tiring in the final 15 minutes.

Sub Brad Rowe nearly made an instant impact, cutting inside from the right and drilling wide, before Weedon was denied a hat-trick when making way for Fyn Morgan.

And it was Morgan who saw two golden chances go to waste inside the area as scrambled defence and reaction saves from Cooper kept the youngster at bay.

But Rowe had the final say, moments after hitting the top of the bar with a looping header.

He showed his predatory instincts to race onto a loose ball and thud a sweet 20-yard strike into the bottom corner to seal victory.

Fellow sub Harley Brook nearly made it five with a dipping 25-yarder in stoppage-time but the Bees had to make do with four goals on a triumphant day.

Speaking to the Bridport News, boss Chris Herbst said: "We played really well and didn't let the occasion get to us.

"We had a funny five minutes but other than that we recovered. We were constantly probing and asking questions.

"How we didn't score at the end I don't know, their keeper made some fantastic saves.

"That's how we can play. It's frustrating with the loss to Honiton and then we go and do that. There's times we can do better and I'm confident we can go up a level again.

"It's nice to do the double over your local rivals."

On Weedon's performance, Herbst added: "I've been on to Riley. He wants the goals and he's probably been trying to pin it too far into the corners.

"I just told him low and hard and across the keeper. It was two good strikes and his performance was outstanding.

"He's always been a goalscorer and should be knocking in 15 goals a season, definitely. That's what I want from him and he knows that."

Bridport: Jo Scadding, Daniels, Cox, Wright, King, Baker (Gall 64), Weedon, Gape, Ayunga (Rowe 64), Richardson (Brook 86), Parsons. Sub not used: Morgan.

Axminster: Cooper, Sheldrake, Waldy (Phillips 84), McGrath, Price, Hebditch, Wilson, Latas, Veal, Short, Chamberlain (Baily 59). Subs not used: Edwards, Stobbs.