BRISLINGTON 2 BRIDPORT 1

KEV Leigh is adamant Bridport’s fortunes will change when Steve Smith and Ryan Dovell return to the fold.

The attacking duo are both expected to train tonight and could feature in this Saturday’s home clash against Ilfracombe Town (3pm).

Reflecting on the 2-1 midweek defeat at Brislington, assistant-manager Leigh said: “We played the same formation that we did in the 4-0 win over Longwell Green Sports on Saturday and took the game to them.

“We created quite a few chances and deservedly went ahead when Matt Morley found Tom Richard-son in the box, who found the corner of the net on 15 minutes, which was a great start for us.

“We then continued to press but just could not get the second.

“They then came out a lot stronger after the break and eventually equalised with a good goal at the near post.

“That clearly gave them a lift and they soon started to throw the kitchen sink at us but generally we did very well to deal with it.

“Then, with the final kick of the game, one of their lads got up well and grabbed the winner, which was very disappointing.

“On the first-half display we should have won it and on the second we deserved a draw, so to come away with nothing was harsh on the lads.

“We just need to get Steve and Ryan back now. No disrespect to the rest of the players but we have missed those two a lot and there is no doubt they make a huge difference to us.”

Alan Hill was an unused substitute in the defeat, which was his last game before leaving for Australia.

Leigh added: “We are not sure how long he is going to be gone for, it could be a year or it could be three months, so we wish him well.”

The Bees now sit 14th in the Toolstation Western Premier Division with just six points from seven outings, while Ilfracombe lie third-bottom with four points but with two games in hand.

Defeat to the Bluebirds would clearly be a big early-season blow for Bridport but if they can emulate their last home performance against Longwell, they should stand a great chance of coming out on top.

Dan Wise, Chris Clarke, Chris Luke and Richardson all netted in that victory in a display that really pleased Leigh.

He said: “We played some great football at times against Long-well, especially in the opening half, and we continued the tempo into the second.

“There is no doubt we are capable of playing well and winn- ing games, we just need to start doing it on a more consistent basis.”

Boss Trevor Senior will be back at the helm on Saturday after returning from his honeymoon.

Bees: S Filkins, J Filkins, Clarke, Evans, Hayter, Watts, Morley, Wise, Richardson, Luke, Staines (Condliffe 70). Subs not used: Hill, Charles.