Three Bridges throw away lead against Whitehawk in eight-goal thriller

A case of lightning striking twice as, for the second successive home game, Bridges allowed a comfortable half time lead to evaporate as Whitehawk took advantage to gain all three points as Bridges squandered at least four gilt edged chances to seal the game.
By Alf Blackler
Published 20th Nov 2019, 12:17 BST
Updated 20th Nov 2019, 12:18 BST
Three Bridges manager Paul Faili. Picture by Steve RobardsThree Bridges manager Paul Faili. Picture by Steve Robards
Three Bridges manager Paul Faili. Picture by Steve Robards

Bridges had the perfect start as John Lansdale won a ball down the left and Andrew Sesay burst away and finished coolly as the Hawks defence failed to keep pace with him.

But Hawks, who played a lot of intricate close passing, beat the offside trap after fourteen minutes with skipper Henry Muggeridge converting their equaliser.

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Bridges played a lot of excellent football for most of the first half though with Alex Laing, Andre McCollin and Tadley Bromage all coming close before they restored their lead on 35 minutes.

The excellent Laing crossed, McCollin missed but Ruben Soares Junior stabbed home for his first goal for the club.

Bromage then headed just over the bar before a superb solo effort in the 40th minute by Brannon O’Neill, who picked up the ball just inside the opposition half and then battled past a couple of desperate tackles before guiding his effort beyond James Broadbent, who finished the half making a good save to deny McCollin.

But it somehow went wrong after that as a fierce back pass after 50 minutes wasn’t cleared sufficiently by Tarell Annakie and second half substitute Lucas Santos Rodrigues tapped in the first of his three goals.

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The game ended early for Connor Tighe, who was helped off after hurting himself fouling Lansdale, and for a while Bridges looked set to get back into the game only for both Sesay and McCollin to waste good opportunities.

And instead of going 4-2 up, it became 3-3 when Fintan Walsh created the chance for Santos Rodrigues to level the scores.

The luckless McCollin saw another chance go begging before Hawks gained a 72nd minute corner, which was met by the head of Matias Torres to give Hawks what had looked like an unlikely lead, and three minutes later another corner was finished by Santos Rodrigues.

Bridges continued to battle, but a tackle by Muggeridge ended with Curtis Gayler being stretchered off, and in the eighth minute of added time McCollin’s evening was summed up as his shot was brilliantly blocked by Broadbent.

Related topics:Three Bridges