Toolstation Western League Premier Division

Bridport 0, Bridgwater Town 6

BRIDGWATER Town co-manager Dave Pearse hailed a “perfect performance” by his side after they hit Bridport for six on Sunday.

Four of the goals came in the first 35 minutes and Dave O’Hare was chief architect, scoring a hat-trick in front of a crowd of 347 – this match being part of the Western League’s ‘Groundhop Weekend’.

Bridport could do nothing about the waves of attack which rained down on them and Bridgwater now have 27 goals in six away league matches.

Steve Murray was denied by goalkeeper Scott Wells-Burr early on, but it only took until the 11th minute for the deadlock to be broken as Sam Towler found Murray, whose low cross was headed in by O’Hare.

It was little surprise when a second goal came on 26 minutes, Murray passing to Mike Duffy, who lobbed a poorly-positioned Wells-Burr.

O’Hare then completed his hat-trick with two goals in as many minutes – driving the ball in from Jake Brown’s pass before heading home from a Harry Horton corner.

It was virtually one-way traffic after half-time, too, with Murray heading the ball in, only to be adjudged offside.

After Steve Friend somehow missed an open goal for Bridport, Town completed the rout with a quickfire double from Sam Towler late on.

Bridgwater: Jake Viney, Mark Armstrong, Jake Llewellyn (Finley Wilkinson 70), Harry Horton (Jake Horsey 81), Ross McErlain, Tom Ellis, Sam Towler, Dave O’Hare, Steve Murray (Jack Taylor 60), Jake Brown, Mike Duffy.

Bridgwater co-manager Dave Pearse said: “It was a perfect performance.

We played some great football and passed them off the park.

“We were solid defensively and created a lot of chances.”

They did so without star marksman Jack Taylor, who started on the bench having missed the 2-0 midweek win at Frome Town in the Somerset Premier Cup with a slight injury.

“We played so well at Frome that we thought we’d keep it the same,” Pearse said.

"Jack knows the score on that front."

Steve Murray scored both goals in the cup win and, with O'Hare notching a treble on Sunday, the two summer signings are delivering the goods.

"Steve is involved in everything at the moment, whether it's goals or assists," Pearse said.

"People wondered whether him and Jack Taylor could work together as they thought they may be a bit similar, but when you work with them both you see they are very different and offer different things.

"We brought Dave in to score goals from midfield and that's exactly what he is doing - long may it continue.

"Sam Towler is also contributing goals from midfield and he was unplayable on Sunday.

"He is thriving on the competition for places.

“We have really upped our levels in these last two matches and it is important we keep that going into Saturday.”

This weekend brings a trip into the unknown for Town, who travel to the Isle of Wight to take on Newport in the FA Vase - see bridgwatermercury.co.uk on Friday for a full match preview.