Bridgwater Town defeat Chipping Sodbury in Toolstation Western League

NEW signings Sam Crumb and Tom Fry were on top form as Bridgwater Town saw off basement club Chipping Sodbury Town 5-0 at Fairfax Park on Saturday.

Crumb scored twice on his debut, the 20-year-old having come in from Cadbury Heath last week, while Tom Fry ran the midfield in his first match for the Robins on home turf.

The first half-hour was pretty even, as Fry struck the post with a free-kick, before he played his part in the opening goal, which came with nine minutes left in the first half.

Crumb - in for the suspended Jack Taylor - had made a confident start to his Bridgwater career, and he picked up Fry’s pass across the edge of the box before finding the bottom corner with a low drive.

The young striker then doubled his, and the Robins’, tally with a 42nd-minute goal, half-volleying the ball into the net following a trademark long throw from Tom Ellis.

Chances came and went at both ends as Sodbury remained a threat, but three goals inside 18 minutes killed the game off.

Fry got the goal his performance deserved on 58 minutes, drilling the ball in at the near post after his corner kick was cleared back to him.

Will Davidson was then given his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card, and the home side made their numerical advantage count in the 72nd minute - Sam Towler being sent clear, seeing his first effort saved, and knocking in the rebound.

Robins goalkeeper Jake Viney nearly joined in the fun, as his wind-assisted clearance almost embarrassed his opposite number, before the fifth came after 76 minutes.

Ellis hurled in another long throw, and substitute Adnan Hiroli flicked it home. Sodbury then found themselves down to 10 men - Keane Ashwood sent off for a bad tackle from behind on Mike Duffy - but they did not concede any more goals.

Bridgwater Town: Jake Viney, Dave Thorne, Jordan Greenwood, Mark Armstrong (Adnan Hiroli 68), George Painter, Tom Ellis, Tom Fry (Ben Kirk 79), Sam Towler, Sam Crumb (Mike Duffy 62), Archie Sturdy, Conor Bryant. Attendance: 231.

Bridgwater co-manager Dave Pearse told the Mercury: “The performance was nothing spectacular but we got the job done.

“We went more direct, we were clinical at good times, and we kept a clean sheet.

“We just need to be more consistent - that’s five wins and five defeats now.”

On Crumb, he added: “He became available, and he’s friends with [Bridgwater defender] Jordan Greenwood, so he came along to training and impressed.

“He’s six foot two, strong, and completely different to what we have - hopefully the likes of Jack Taylor can score goals off him.”

Next up for Bridgwater is an FA Vase first round proper tie at home to Western League Division 1 leaders Welton Rovers this coming Saturday (3pm).

“We’ve done our homework on [Welton] and we know they’re a very physical side, so we have to brace ourselves for that,” Pearse said.

“If we play like we did on Saturday, I think we’ll get the win, but we have to make that happen, not wait for them to make mistakes.

"Hopefully we can go on a bit of a run in the Vase."