REPORT: BAMBER BRIDGE 5-2 UNITED

United's trip to the north-west ended in defeat after a 5-2 reverse away at Bamber Bridge on Saturday afternoon.

Harry Scarborough put the hosts ahead before Sam Billington added a second moments after the break.

Remaye Campbell pulled one back ten minutes later, but Danny Edwards' quickfire double had Brig 4-1 up before Jordan Hallam scored with a fine strike.

Substitute Tunde Bayode rounded the scoring off, however, with ten minutes remaining to condemn the visitors to a first defeat in three.

In an uneventful opening ten minutes, Hallam – on the back of three goals in two outings – stood over a set piece after he was bundled over but could only fire straight at James Pradic.

Stand-in captain Kieran Fenton was then booked for a tackle as last man, and some in home attendance evidently felt aggrieved his punishment wasn’t more severe.

Both ‘keepers remained fairly untroubled in the opening 25 minutes on a boggy subface at the SFC Stadium; Scarborough testing his luck on the volley, but his effort sailed harmlessly over Kieran Preston’s crossbar.

The striker was again to go close on the half hour though a shot, always on the slip and under the pressure of Jack Thomas was deflected and easy for Preston.

But he wasn’t to be denied for a third time when, on the countdown to half-time, he capitalised on a loose pass by Fenton to race through and slot high beyond Preston to give the hosts a half-time lead.

And Brig’s lead was extended just seconds after the restart when Billington latched onto a through ball and, from an angle, fired beyond Preston and into the far corner.

Things may have become tasty just before the hour when half-substitute Charlie Wakefield, replacing his namesake Harry, drove forward and saw Pradic save well but straight into the path of Campbell who tapped home into an empty net.

Though any hopes of a comeback were dashed when Bamber Bridge scored twice in quick succession through Edwards.

First his neat finish on the angle and seven yards out found the bottom corner, before some intricate play allowed the midfielder to fire beyond Preston to give the hosts a 4-1 advantage.

Hallam reduced the arrears with a fantastic effort, curling into the top corner for his fourth in three outings, but substitute Tunde Bayode took aim to ping his side’s fifth into the far corner and seal the points.

Next up, we travel to Macclesfield on Tuesday night (7.45pm), before hosting Workington AFC next Saturday at Greenwich Avenue (3pm).

UNITED: Preston; Roma, Barnes, Frizelle, Fenton (c); Lewis (Thornhill 62’) Harry Wakefield (Charlie Wakefield 45’), Thomas, Litchfield; Campbell, Hallam
SUBS (not used): Goddard, Holmes, Alexander

ATT: 470 [17 away]