Bridlington Town roar to 8-0 home win against Brighouse to finish season in style
Bridlington Town signed off their NPL East campaign in truly emphatic style on Saturday, dismantling an already-relegated Brighouse Town with a clinical 8-0 victory at the Mounting Systems Stadium.
With local pride on the line, the Seasiders knew they needed to either better North Ferriby’s result or find a way to significantly outscore them to leapfrog them in the final standings.
They chose the latter, delivering a ruthless performance to secure an eighth-place finish.
Even with manager Scott Kerr watching from the stands due to a touchline ban, his side played with a swagger, dominating possession and barely allowing the visitors a sniff of the ball.
The rout began just three minutes in when Ahmed Salam rifled a pinpoint strike into the top corner following a tidy lay-back from Casey Stewart.
Bridlington’s "keep-ball" style left Brighouse chasing shadows, and the pressure told again in the 18th minute. A wonderful ball over the top found Stan Hewitt on the run, who showed immense composure to dink the ball over the incoming keeper.
The visitors struggled to respond, and in the 37th minute, York City academy standout Ben Farrar made it three, turning sharply in the box to slot home.
Just before the interval, Alex Markham capitalised on a clever low corner routine, turning the ball home after a dummied ball from Hewitt to make it 4-0.
The second half saw no let-up as Bridlington utilised their bench, introducing Green, Nnenanya, and Hamdosh to maintain the high energy.
The afternoon belonged to the skipper, Ahmed Salam, who continued his incredible vein of form.
In the 68th minute, he smashed home a "beauty" from long range before converting a 74th-minute penalty – won after Hamza Hamdosh was pulled down in the area – to secure his second hat-trick in a week.
Not content with six, substitute Ifeanyi "Destiny" Nnenanya added late gloss to the scoreline.
In the 89th minute, he pounced on a loose ball, showing quick feet to round the keeper and slot into an empty net. He wasn't finished, winning a physical challenge on the run in stoppage-time before firing past a defenceless keeper for the eighth.
It was a flawless, high-tempo display that ensured the Seasiders finished the season as the region's top dogs in spectacular fashion.