Grant and Lansdale goals bring Three Bridges victory over Loxwood
Michael Wood was a constant threat with his pace and skipper Byron Napper urged his side on relentlessly.
Dan Mobsby’s return to the Jubilee Field was one in which he looked generally comfortable in his role at the heart of the defence, but also left him with a broken nose!
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBridges had the earliest good chance to open the scoring when newcomer Ami Glloga threaded a delightful ball through to Michael Campbell.
He burst forward but lost possession to ‘keeper Sam Smith when he tried to round him.
Loxwood hit back with Napper shooting straight at Kieron Thorp, who also held a strike by Wood.
Bridges had a couple of penalty shouts as Campbell seemed to be manhandled and Jensen Grant also felt he’d been fouled as he tried to follow up Nathan Koo-Boothe’s header against the bar.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAt the other end Thorp had to make two excellent saves to deny Ollie Moore at a critical stage of the game.
Bridges took a 56th minute lead when John Lansdale’s free-kick from deep on the left was headed in by Jensen Grant.
But Bridges then had to reshape when Campbell went off injured and the returning Matt Whitehead slotted in at left-back.
No doubt the turning point in proceedings came after 66 minutes when Wood’s shot struck Jamie Crellin on the hand.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdUp-stepped Tiago Andrade to take the penalty but he blasted the ball over the bar and his side didn’t threaten much after that miss.
After 73 minutes Bridges made their visitors pay when a corner was met by Lansdale for his third goal in as many games to celebrate his 100th league start for the side.
There was a controversial moment when Darryl Siaw crashed into goalkeeper Sam Smith, who was already nursing a knock but carried on gamely for a further eight minutes, and in the sixth and final minute of added-time Mobsby headed over the bar as Loxwood proved that they were fighters until the final whistle.
Bridges: Thorp, Collins, Lansdale, Hall, Koo-Boothe, Crellin, Crabb, Grant (French 71), Campbell (Whitehead, 59), Siaw, Glloga.
Unused sub: Casselman, Peters, Berry
Aerotron Man of the Match: Kieron Thorp
Loxwood: Smith (Barr 85); Holvey, Warren, French (Wright 82), Mobsby, Rouane, Bachelor (Jardi, 77), Napper, Andrade, Moore, Wood.
Unused subs: Dominique, Swaine