Bridlington Town play out thrilling 2-2 draw in pre-season opener at Brigg
Bridlington Town played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at Brigg in Friday’s opening pre-season friendly that offered plenty of encouragement for the upcoming campaign.
Brigg started brightly on their home turf, forcing an early corner that was confidently claimed by a Seasiders Trialist.
However, the Seasiders quickly grew into the contest, with the pace of Destiny causing endless problems for the Brigg backline. The breakthrough finally arrived just before the half-hour mark when Billy Marshall seized upon a loose ball on the edge of the area and curled a superb, right-footed effort into the far corner. Bridlington continued to assert their dominance as the half progressed; a brilliant sequence saw Stewart chest the ball down and volley a defence-splitting pass to Destiny, who fired just wide, before the dangerous winger beat three defenders only to see his 40th-minute strike crash back off the post.
The Seasiders carried that momentum directly into the second period and doubled their advantage almost immediately through some inspired substitutions.
Just minutes after entering the fray, Ahmed Salam made an instant impact by sliding home a low, driven cross from Destiny to make it 2-0.
Destiny nearly turned goalscorer himself shortly after, but fired just over the crossbar.
With a comfortable cushion, both managers rang the changes, introducing a host of fresh faces and trialists.
The heavy rotation disrupted Bridlington's defensive rhythm, and Brigg Town capitalised to mount a swift comeback.
The hosts pulled one back after ruthlessly punishing a defensive lapse on the right wing, before drawing level at 2-2 courtesy of a finely struck free-kick that curled directly into the top corner.
Despite the setback, a youthful Brid XI showed immense character in the final 15 minutes as they pushed hard for a winner.
Markham displayed excellent leadership from the back, keeping a late set-piece alive before firing just over, while Salam and Destiny combined once more in the 89th minute, only for the latter’s deflected effort to spin agonizingly wide of the target to ensure that the spoils were shared in a highly constructive workout.
The Seasiders are back in action on Tuesday night as they head to Goole to face Barton Town in the special annual match for James Hitchcock.
Following that trip, Town make their return to the HDM Energies Stadium on Queensgate for a packed schedule of home fixtures, welcoming Whitby on Friday night and Scarborough the following Tuesday.
The pre-season home calendar builds toward a highly anticipated encounter against Leeds United U21s. Please note that this is an all-ticket match, and tickets must be purchased in advance.
Tickets for the Leeds United fixture are available to buy online via https://bridtownafc.ktckts.com/ or can be picked up in person by visiting The Town Bar between 10am and 4pm every weekday.