Bridlington Town slip to 2-0 home defeat against Garforth
Bridlington Town succumbed to a 2–0 home defeat against Garforth on Monday as fixture fatigue caught up with Brid in the final match of an exhausting run of three games in six days.
Despite a lively first half, Bridlington were undone by two long balls, individual errors and a late refereeing decision on the edge of the area.
Brid set a solid early shape, catching Garforth offside twice before Ahmed Salam tested the keeper with a scuffed effort from a recycled corner.
Town pushed forward in the 16th minute when Luca Bolino picked up the ball, and brilliantly and floated a cross for Salam, whose stretching header flashed just wide.
The hosts continued to carve out chances. In the 20th minute, Toby Marriott brought an over-hit free kick back to life to set up Tom Allan, who slipped at the crucial moment and sent his strike from distance over the bar.
Just two minutes later, Bolino delivered another fine cross; Garforth’s clearance fell to Kyle Fanning, but his powerful first-time volley also sailed over.
Garforth began to settle midway through the half. After Joe Batty rose well to head clear a dangerous cross, the visitors broke the deadlock in the 37th minute.
A long ball flicked over the top then forced Alex Baird off his line, but the Garforth forward lobbed the ball over the rushing keeper to make it 1-0.
Brid almost responded immediately before the break, but Toby Marriott’s header from a quality Riley Cooper cross found itself just wide of the mark.
Brid pushed for an equaliser early in the second half, with Tom Allan heading wide from a 54th-minute free-kick.
As the half went on the Seasiders looked leggy, as Garforth turned on the pressure. Baird made a superb reflex save in the 65th minute to turn a dangerous drive behind, and Salam sent a shot over the bar in the 74th minute after beating his man on the edge of the box.
Baird kept Town alive with a remarkable sequence of saves. In the 78th minute, he dived low to his right to push a rapid counter-attack effort wide.
Five minutes later, after a loose pass left Allan stretching, Garforth’s number 14, Mutty, raced clean through, but Baird charged off his line to close the angle and make a crucial block away for a corner.
Garforth finally doubled their advantage in the 89th minute.
A long clearance down the right wing slipped under the boot of Allan, allowing the winger to break free and feed Mutty, who slotted home to seal the contest.
Brid threw everything forward and were incensed in the 91st minute when Billy Marshall’s strike struck a Garforth defender's hand.
Despite penalty appeals, the referee awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box.
The set-piece was driven into the base of the wall by Salam, and while Allan flicked the resulting long throw to Reece Wilson, his header landed on the roof of the net to sum up a frustrating afternoon for Brid.