Three Bridges shock Worthing in final game before lockdown

A contentious sending off, a few idiots trying to pull a goal net down and three late goals, two of which could well be included in the end of season Best Goal, both scored by previous winners of this award.

It started badly for Bridges with an early injury to Andy Sesay, who thus joined Callum Donaghey and Alex Barbary as an onlooker, whilst Troy Williams also missed his first game of the campaign. Kieron Thorp was then called into action to deny Mo Diallo, who was flagged offside anyway, but after 26 minutes Curtis Gayler played a beautiful through ball to Brannon O’Neill, whose firm shot was well saved by Roco Rees.

The referee awarded a penalty to Worthing when Jordan Wilson fouled Jesse Starkey just inside the box, but the decision was then overturned when the Assistant Referee again flagged for offside!

The two officials weren’t in agreement either when Dean Lovegrove looked to have won the ball but views differed on whether his follow through was worthy of a red or yellow card. The referee made his mind up and Lovegrove suffered the indignity of successive red cards.

Bridges weren’t about to give up though and Gayler was only just wide with a long range effort. It was then Worthing’s turn to be denied as Harry Docherty cleared off the line from Omar Karoma. The visitors were now pressing hard and substitute Oliver Pearce shot wide on the turn before a horrible miss by Dayshonne Golding.

Ben Bacon’s header didn’t have enough power to beat Rees and Tom Tolfrey fired over following another excellent through ball by Gayler, who was working well with O’Neill in Bridges’ midfield.

The game looked over for Bridges when Worthing took an 81st minute lead with a terrific volley by Pearce, but Worthing perhaps made a mistake in trying to press for more and left space for Bridges to counter attack. There were then three moments of excellence from Bridges, starting with a surging run from his own goal area by Steve Smith just a minute after Worthing’s goal.

Despite being forced wide as he neared the opposing goal, Smith then crossed low, Tolfrey dummied and John Lansdale gleefully lashed the ball home from the edge of the box. And it got even better after 87 minutes when Tolfrey delivered the perfect ball under pressure to Gayler, who finished in style to cue celebrations.

But it wasn’t quite over as Starkey thought he’d conjured up an equaliser only to be denied by a wonderful save by Thorp, who had been given plenty of abuse by a small minority of visiting supporters.

There were plenty of candidates for Man of the Match, but in the end STEVE SMITH took that particular honour.

Bridges: K.Thorp; G.Ashley; D.Lovegrove; C.Gayler; B.O’Neill; S.Smith; L.Hall; A.Sesay (J.Wilson, 10); H.Docherty; B.Bacon (J.Lansdale, 76); T.Tolfrey (B.Irving, 90).

Unused Subs. – D.Street; J.Stone.

Sent Off – Lovegrove (43).

Worthing: R.Rees; L.Moore; C.Tutt; D.Barker; A.Young; D.Golding (M.Armstrong, 89); R.Aguiar; O.Karoma; M.Diallo (O.Pearce, 58); J.Starkey; J.Pattenden.

Unused Subs. – J.Colbran; M.Jammeh. D.Pappoe.

Booked – Golding (68); Pearce (88).