Brid Beaten on Non League Day

Sunday, 26 March 2023 08:27

By Ben Edwards, with Andrew Snaith

North East side Dunston ended Brid's bright run under Adie Costello.

Bridlington Town's run of just one defeat in nine matches was ended on Saturday, after Dunston left the Seaside with all three points having won 2-1.

Matty Dixon returned from an injury lay-off to start, in place of Andy Norfolk, with Jack Griffin pushed back into midfield and Benn Lewis slotting in at centre-back.

There were no shots in the opening ten minutes, with Dunston not allowing the Seasiders to have much of the ball. It was the visitors who had the first shot of the game when the ball was played to Sado Djalo on the right, but he fired over.

A good chance fell the way of Dunston when a low cross found Dale Pearson free in the middle by the penalty spot, but he slipped and hit the ball wide of the right post.

Benn Lewis’ headed clearance only found Djalo, whose effort was blocked for a corner on the right-hand side.

The set piece was whipped to the back post, where Jon Shaw and Liam Thear both tried to scramble the ball home, with Thear eventually bundling it in to give Dunston a 27th minute advantage.

Mackenzie Warne won a free kick after being fouled 25-yards from goal. Griffin struck the free kick with power, but it was straight at goalkeeper Dan Staples.

In the first of two added minutes at the end of the first half, Griffin had another chance from a header, but it went just wide of the right hand post, with his side 1-0 at the break.

The hosts came out the second half the livelier, having an early chance when James Williamson was in a shooting position. Instead he laid it off to Mackenzie Warne, but he blazed it wide.

They made the bright start count, however, when Man of the Match Tom Algar’s left-footed strike from 25-yards brilliantly found the bottom left corner. A brilliant strike from the midfielder dual signed from York City that gave Bridlington Town an equaliser in the 51st minute.

Just two minutes later Dunston almost regained the lead when Djalo rattled the post from the edge of the penalty area.

They did find their second goal, again through Thear, whose effort from the 18-yard line wrong-footed James Hitchcock after possibly taking a deflection. The Seasiders’ were level for merely eight minutes.

Hitchcock then pulled off a brilliant save, after a whipped free kick was headed on target by a Dunston man, but the shot-stopper's reflexes were on point.

Shortly after, Djalo struck a half volley on the edge of the penalty area that flew too far to the right.

Substitute Jake Martindale was dispossessed in the midfield. The ball found another substitute in Jack Elliott, who got in behind Lewis but fired over from a tight angle,

Bridlington Town had a few half-chances to equalise in the final five minutes. The first of which game after a brilliant through ball from Griffin found George Harrison, who cut onto his left foot but curled it a long way over the crossbar.

A free kick from Hitchcock on the half-way line made its way to striker Lewis Dennison, who had a quiet afternoon, but he volleyed wide.

Another Bridlington free kick was cleared, only to Harrison on the edge of the penalty area, but his strike went straight through to Staples.

With under a minute left, Will Sutton tried his luck from 25-yards, but an effort with the outside of his foot was wide of the left post and Bridlington Town suffered defeat.

Brid now look to bounce back with our next game in a week's time away to North Shields.

Brid boss Adie Costello spoke to Brid Town TV after the game: