Three Bridges ease through in FA Vase by smashing Steyning

Bridges had three corners in the first four minutes and almost took a sixth minute lead when Steyning keeper Ben Rose nearly fumbled a Michael Campbell shot over the line.

This was swiftly followed by a Jerome Walker effort being scrambled off the line and Connor French then headed over from a pinpoint free-kick by Nathan Simpson.

French was then denied by the post and Nathan Koo-Boothe headed wide from the excellent Jay Conroy’s corner.

But the last ten minutes of the first half saw Steyning grow in confidence as the scores were still level.

Ben Bacon headed horribly wide from a Callum Court cross and in the closing moments there were two chances that went begging as the ball flashed across the goalmouth.

But from the second of these close calls, Conroy hoisted a long ball forward and Michael Campbell finished with a low cool shot.

Campbell sliced into the side netting early in the second half and Nathan Simpson saw a free-kick fly just over as Bridges started to dominate once more, and after 50 minutes a neat through-ball by Liam Collins found Jerome Walker, who recovered from a slight stumble to slot Bridges’ second.

Conroy then shot over from a Campbell pass and Kieron Thorp was forced to make a save at last as he held Bacon’s drive.

But on the hour French played in another star of the afternoon Jensen Grant to net from close range, and Campbell was denied another by a flying save by Rose.

Bacon chipped wide from Alex Townley’s pass late in the game, but Bridges defence was rarely troubled, largely because of an excellent stubborn performance at the back by Bradley Peters.

Bridges: Thorp, Conroy, Simpson, Peters, Koo-Boothe (Crellin 46), Hall, Collins, Grant, French (Brissett 70), Campbell, Walker (Casselman 60).

Unused subs: Hilaire, Lansdale.

Aerotron Man of the Match:

Bradley Peters