New signing Chris Adams gives Bridlington Town the lead in the 2-1 win at Rossington Main
Word and pictures by James Grayson (@jamesAgrayson, @NonLeagueNorth)
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The new era at Bridlington Town began with a 2-1 victory at Toolstation NCEL Division One side Rossington Main.
Bridlington have chosen to go with young players this season, whilst retaining some of the experienced stalwarts like captain Tom Fleming.
Manager Gary Allanson admitted he fielded a side of an average “of about 19” at Rossington and the majority of those players will lead Bridlington into battle on August 9th when the Premier Division campaign kicks off.
New signing Jamie Adams gave Bridlington the lead and it was one of the old guard Craig Hogg that won the match late-on for Town so Allanson was satisfied.
“The result is irrelevant as it’s about the performance and how players do,” he told Non League Yorkshire.
“It is a fresh start for us all. We have brought backroom staff in with Andy Foster and Steve Mulligan so the main thing was seeing how the players we have already had and the ones they have brought in mixed.
“It went ok. There are lots of things you can work on and these are what these games tell you.
“I don’t look at the negatives. I always look at the positives. There is bits and bobs. We were speaking with the players and some have come out and we’re said ‘they’re a really good signing’.
“Some haven’t done so well.”
Action from Rossington Main 1-2 Bridlington Town
On one of the hottest Saturdays of the year, Rossington were hoping to add Bridlington to their list of Premier Division scalps having beat Garforth Town last week.
However, the chances of that happening looked remote after a bad start. Bridlington looked sharp up top from the off and a poor back pass presented Adams with the perfect opportunity to make his mark on his debut.
The young striker, who netted 21 times for Hall Road Rangers last season, capitalised on the mistake and neatly lobbed the on-rushing Rossington goalkeeper Adam Stevens.
Rossington did respond with an equaliser literally straight after half-time. The visitors gave experienced striker Lee Holmes too much time on the ball and the striker fired a powerful low drive into the bottom corner – well out of Bridlington’s second half goalkeeper Phil Dobson’s reach.
The match was fizzling out for a draw until a late flurry of chances. Nathan Fraser and Dom Richardson both had separate opportunities after beating the offside trap, but spurned their chances to win the game for Rossington by firing wide.
So it was left to the experience of Hogg to punish them. He broke clear and showed great composure when firing the ball into the bottom corner to sound the horn for the beginning of Allanson’s brave new era at Queensgate.
Rossington Main: Stevens, Fraser, Billam, Holden, Oakshott, Caburn, McGhee, Pendleton, Holmes, Hatton, Chipamunga. Subs: Bathgate, Rudd, Bennett, Wildry, Richardson.
Bridlington Town: Nicholson, Smith, Dixon, White, Mortimer, Palmer, O’Connell, Fleming, Norton, Reeson, Adams. Subs: Corlyon, Dobson, Waudby, Wray, Duka, Hogg.
Referee: P Henger (Hallam)