BITTON 4

BRIDPORT 1

MARK CARTER admitted that if he initially knew how tough it would be stepping into the hot seat at Bridport on an interim basis, he probably would have not taken the job on.

The Bees were beaten once again in their penultimate game of a miserable season – suffering their fifth league defeat in a row with a 4-1 reverse at Bitton.

Once again having to field Ryan Hayter as an emergency keeper with no regular gloveman to choose from, Carter’s side did take the lead at the Rapid Solicitors Ground but were eventually overhauled.

Ryan Dovell hit a post in the first half for the Bees after taking the ball around the Bitton keeper, and with nobody following up, the home side were left unpunished.

The visitors’ goal did come however, as a diagonal ball from Chris Clarke found Darren Watts, who finished well on the angle to break the deadlock on 17 minutes.

Dovell then went close again and the Bitton keeper also made a good stop from a free-kick.

But, from the resulting corner after that passage of play, the Bees were punished on the counter attack. A Bridport defender misjudged the bounce of a long ball forward allowing a home attacker to nip in and score.

After the break, the Bees were going down the slope, but that could not prevent them going 2-1 behind. A Bitton free-kick was drilled into the net leaving stand-in stopper Hayter with no chance.

Another goal for the hosts then arrived on the counter to make it 3-1 and Bridport’s Tom Richardson then missed an opportunity to pull a goal back with a volley he put wide from close range.

And Bitton then scored from another free-kick out wide to wrap the game up and condemn Bridport to another defeat.

Carter told Echosport: “Once the third goal went in heads went down and it was just like giving up basically.

“I do feel for them because some of their own team-mates are letting them down.

“I just can’t wait now to get the season over myself.”

He added: “I was just basically doing it until the end of the season and I didn’t think I was going to get this crisis with people pulling out with silly excuses every week.

“I think if I knew what would happen with commitment from players since I had been doing it, I would have just stepped aside with Trevor (Senior, former boss). It has been very tough.

“For this to be happening at this level is embarrassing.”