Double injury blow adds to Bridlington Town woes before home loss to Hallam
Bridlington Town began a run of three home games in a week with Saturday’s friendly against Hallam FC, in which the visitors left the east coast with a 2-1 victory, as Adrian Costello’s side conceded two headed goals from corners.
With the game about getting minutes into players’ legs, the result did not affect Costello, though what was disappointing was losing two key players within 15 minutes, writes Ben Edwards.
Captain James Williamson was forced off with a head injury, before striker Michael Coulson was withdrawn as a precaution due to a calf issue.
Despite the two changes, the hosts started the game positively with Nathan Doyle’s grasscutter from 20 yards going wide of the left post.
George Harrison saw his effort sliced away by Danny South for a corner, which Doyle took and found Benn Lewis, who headed wide.
Twenty minutes in, Hallam had their first sight on goal, as an ambitious effort from range flew over the crossbar.
Superb work from Matty Bowman opened the scoring after 26 minutes. He drove from 40 yards out all the way into the penalty area, beating multiple men on his way, before finishing into the bottom left corner.
Just after the half-hour mark, a superb ball over the top from Doyle set Harrison in behind. He found himself one-on-one with Hugo Warhurst, who saved at a tight angle.
A minute later, Hallam hit the post after a curling effort from Rio Allen on the left foot from the right flank. From the resulting corner, Alex Peterson headed home the equaliser.
Owen Grainger was on hand to make a good save to prevent an Alex Markham own goal, but again the resulting corner was headed in, this time by South.
Eddie Birch was one of three changes at half-time, alongside a trialist goalkeeper and Harley Dawson. An early Brid corner was cleared to the edge of the box, where Birch’s half-volley was saved. Shortly after, Birch tried his luck from 25 yards, but it went over.
Former Seasider Danny Buttle’s corner yet again found South, who looked a constant threat from setpieces, but his cute flick was easy for the trialist keeper to save. Leon Harworth’s deflected effort just evaded the top right corner, with South yet again winning the header from the corner, this time hitting the left post.
Curtis Morrison tried his luck from range with just under 30 minutes remaining, but it was high and wide of the top left corner.
Hallam squandered two gilt-edged chances in as many minutes, firstly after a cross from the right by Carter Tingle found Sam Ekhardt, who made a complete mess of it in space as the ball trickled wide.
The trialist keeper then produced a sensational save from point-blank range, the rebound being put over from yards out.
Bobby Attree was forced to clear off the line, as the ball was scrambled towards goal at the back post from a free kick from the right.
The hosts then had a free-kick of their own when Morrison went on a mazy run before drawing a foul on the edge of the box. He took the set piece, but nothing was made of it.