Lewes vs Three Bridges 1st

Bridges suffered defeat and exited the Sussex Transport Senior Cup on Tuesday night, but the scoreline doesn’t reflect the performance in many ways, as Bridges had the Isthmian Premier Division league leaders worried throughout the game.

Unfortunately, Bridges had the worst start possible, going 2-0 down within the first 15 minutes of the game. Both MALIQ MORRIS and TOLU LADAPO pounced on defensive errors and it initially looked as if the home side were going to cruise to victory with a big scoreline.

But credit should be given to this Bridges side who picked themselves up after the early blows and decided to make a game of it. This effort was mainly led by midweek loanee NOEL LEIGHTON, who pulled a goal back on the half hour mark with a wonderfully taken effort from 20 yards out, curling the ball past Olds in the Lewes goal.

Olds then produced a fabulous save from a Leighton header just five minutes later to keep the home side ahead, whilst both Hallard and Rivera put efforts inches wide as the half-time break approached.

Into the second-half and it was Bridges again creating the best chances and playing the better football. Bradley Campbell-Francis, filling in at right-back on the evening, had the best of these chances but his low drive went just wide of Olds right-hand post.

As can so often being the way in football, despite a team dominating for large periods, the other team are always a threat, and this ended up being the case as Lewes put the game to bed with 15 minutes to go and against the run of play. DANNY BASSETT won the aerial battle from a corner and headed past Glover in the Bridges goal to make it 3-1 to the home side.

Bridges though continued to huff and puff despite heading towards defeat. Olds yet again produced a brilliant save to deny a Leighton header, whilst Rivera, Adam and Hayden-Pickering all had good chances too, but couldn’t find a consolation goal.

Despite defeat, huge credit should be given to 16 year-old Connor Hayden-Pickering who made his first team Bridges debut, having been with the club since the age of 7, and did not look out of place at all in the midfield.

With Bridges now out of all cup competitions, full focus is back on the league campaign, starting with a trip to Sevenoaks Town on Saturday afternoon.