Tait's brace paves way for Bridges victory

Bridges’ first game of the New Year ended with a very good win, the final scoreline rather flattering the hosts.

Three goals in the first eight minutes suggested a good day for strikers, and it was Bridges who drew first blood inside two minutes when the excellent Jamie Brotherton drove at Chatham’s defence with the ball finally falling invitingly for Allan Tait to stab home from close range.

But, within a minute, Chatham were on level terms when a cross was missed by everyone except Ricky Gundry, who was lurking at the far post to drill home, again from close range.

Kieran Thorp the had to tip round a difficult drive from Kwabena Osie before Bridges netted again.

Abu Touray, making his first start in the best part of a year, slipped but then recovered his poise and slipped the perfect ball for Brotherton to race clear and slip beyond keeper Jack Bradshaw.

Thorp had to make another fine save to deny Luke Medley, but Bridges were taking control and a good brave run by Jamie Crellin and a stinging effort by Hakeem Adelakun needed to be dealt with by Bradshaw.

A bad miss by Gundry in a rare Chatham attack in a one sided second half could have proved costly as Bridges just couldn’t turn chances into goals.

Ben Godfrey was denied twice before Tait finally snatched his second after 75 minutes following a good combination between Touray and Mitch Casselman.

And a good run by Tait almost completed a hat-trick but Casselman got in his way at the last moment.

By now, Chatham were reduced to hopeful long punts forward, but Bridges’ back-four were proving difficult customers to beat.

Crellin was once again sublime and Nigel Brake, Matt Daniel and Dan Mobsby (following a shaky opening ten minutes) were in no mood to submit gracefully!

Thorp tipped over well from Laurence Collins’ free-kick and made an injury-time point-blank save from Fred Obasa, but four minutes into added time a long ball found Gundry, whose delicate chip deceived Thorp for once.

It gave a gloss on Chatham’s overall display, but even the home side’s committee were quick to pronounce that the clearly better side had won on the day.

Bridges: Thorp; Mobsby; Daniel; Adelakun; Brake; Crellin; Touray (Cooney 80); Godfrey; Tait; Brotherton (Casselman 60); Whitehead (J.Lansdale 69)

Unused subs: Pulling, Dollery

Attendance: 156

Aerotron Man of the Match: Abu Touray