Match report: Weymouth & Portland

Bridport continued their unbeaten run with a third consecutive clean sheet, winning 6-0 in a dogged battle against local rivals and new league leaders Weymouth & Portland.

This was the Seahorses’ first defeat of the season and their first when they did not get on the scoresheet.

Although, the losing bonus point they received bizarrely took them to the top of the Counties Two Tribute Dorset & Wilts South table, while Bridport lie fifth.

With wet and windy conditions, and a ball like a bar of soap, it did not make for a very entertaining game with very few, if any, clean line breaks.

It was a question of which defence would break first and the Daggers from one to 15 played their defensive hearts out to deny the visitors a score.

Playing with a strong crosswind, the Daggers kicked off the first half and were soon on the offensive, after conceding an early penalty Weymouth could not make touch, Bridport ran the ball back forcing a penalty, which Mitch Waters kicked long to touch and from the five-metre line-out Weymouth conceded a penalty. Waters judged the wind perfectly for the first score.

The Daggers were adapting better to the conditions with their defence not allowing their opponents to make any headway into their territory and they were soon back in the Weymouth 22 forcing another penalty, Waters’ effort this time just drifting wide.

Again, the Daggers were denying the big Weymouth forwards any ground with some superb tackling

And, after Weymouth were penalised for crossing, Waters’ third attempt for points hit the upright, bouncing clear.

Bridport kept the up the pressure in their opponents’ half and the game became scrappy and with a bit of niggle creeping both teams had a player yellow carded.

There then followed a lengthy stoppage after Weymouth’s Khylo Farley received treatment for bad ankle ligament injury, with the rain unrelenting the referee sensibly sent both teams back to their dressing rooms.

From the restart, the Daggers’ pressure through their forwards resulted in another yellow card for Weymouth.

With the wind now increasing, Waters’ fourth attempt at goal again just drifted wide.

Bridport were using the wind sensibly not kicking too long and forcing Weymouth to play the ball and keeping them in their own half.

They eventually conceded another penalty from which Waters made no mistake to take the game to half-time with a 6-0 lead.

With the wind behind the large crowd were perhaps expecting the league leaders to turn the screw and use their big forwards to tire the Daggers defence.

However, with a show of defiant resistance not seen at the Brewery Ground for some time, the whole Daggers team hardly missed a tackle and did not allow Weymouth to cross the whitewash even after a series of forward drives right on their own line.

Weymouth & Portland responded by nearly scoring the game’s first try with a patient move but Luke Beynon was penalised for an infringement.

Bridport’s only concession was a single penalty early in the half which despite going with the wind behind fell just short from Hamish Jephcott.

As the game moved to a close in the gathering gloom, the Daggers’ forwards increased the pressure in the breakdown forcing Weymouth to concede a series of penalties to bring them back into their opponents’ half.

Despite a second yellow they were still able to run down the clock for a famous and well-deserved victory.

After the match captain Jed Gravelle said: “Every generation of player turned out to play for Bridport, with great youth team products and veterans alike, proving that we aren’t just here to play, we’re here to compete.”

Bridport’s final game before Christmas is home to Bournemouth Thirds on Saturday.