Bridport 3-1 Street
Salter 28, 61 Foster 39
Cornish 93
Att 210
Street weren't at their best yesterday and crashed out of the FA Cup Preliminary Round losing 3-1 to a defensively well drilled Bridport.
Bridport started brightly and had the first chance of the game after 7 mins when a free kick from the right found a Bee's player unmarked at the far post only for their header to crash against the bar. It was an early let off for the the Cobblers who then came close a couple of minutes later when Craig Herrod latched onto a loose ball from outside the box, his volley was then smartly tipped over the bar by the Bee's keeper Jason Hutchings. As the half progressed the Cobblers were struggling to find any rhythm and rarely troubled the Bridport defence, at the other end Bridport nearly broke the deadlock on 25 minutes with a 25 yard drive from Ed Butcher that the ever alert Tom Punchard saved at full stretch. Then on 28 minutes a deep cross from the left found ex-Cobbler Mark Salter between defenders to head in at the far post giving Punchard no chance to make it 1-0. This provoked a response from Street with Steve Murray and Herrod causing the Bridport right back problems, appeals for a penalty were dismissed when Murray was adjudged to have been upended outside the box. It was another dangerous run this time by Herrod whose shot was flapped by the Bee's keeper straight to Harry Foster who from 4 yards buried it into the the roof of the net to equalise.
The second half again saw the Cobblers struggle to find the fluidity of the previous games this season and it was a free kick on 61 minutes that 2 former Cobblers combined to give Bridport the lead when Leigh Bailey rose to win a header which Mark Salter gobbled up from 6 yards. Street kept pushing but a came up against a resolute Bridport defence and in the dying minutes of the game the Cobblers ushered everyone up for a corner which was cleared by Bridport, in the ensuing counter attack and with Punchard stranded Briport's Declan Cornish rolled the ball into and empty net to wrap up the win.
The club would like to thank the 50 or so Cobbler fans who made the journey to Dorset, also to George Groves who was the mascot for the day, and to Roger Palmer for sponsoring the Cobblers FA Cup games.
The reserves also lost narrowly 2-1 away to against last season's high flying Portishead Town Reserves.
Next up 2 tough games, wednesday night the Cobblers are away to in form Willand Rovers who knocked out last seasons champions Bristol Manor Farm out of the FA Cup on Saturday 2-1, then on Saturday 26th at home against Odd Down who also knocked out Sourthern League opposition Mangotsfield Town
