Roberts fires Anchors to victory over Bridlington

Mikey Roberts scored a brace as Stockton Town returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 4-0 win at home to Bridlington Town. 

The forward scored his first of the game on 29 minutes before Nathan Mulligan fired home a free-kick off the underside off the bar. 

M.Roberts made it 3-0 before half-time, while Stephen Thompson added a fourth in the second-half to wrap up a fantastic performance. 

The Anchors remain top of the Northern Premier League East by a point, and travel to Brighouse Town next Saturday. 

Manager Michael Dunwell made one change to the side that faced Pontefract Collieries on Tuesday evening, with N.Mulligan coming in for the suspended Cameron Painter. 

The two sides settled fairly quickly in the game, and after both exchanged chances from the edge of the box, Kev Hayes drew a good saved from James Hitchcock. 

Hayes continued to be a threat, testing Hitchcock again just a minutes later before the Anchors stepped up and took the lead just before the half-hour mark. 

M.Roberts received the ball out on the left, cut inside onto his right foot before curling a wonderful effort into the far bottom corner. 

The Anchors doubled their lead on 39 minutes when N.Mulligan stepped up and fired home his free-kick off the underside of the bar and into the back of the net. 

Right on the stroke of half-time, the hosts made it three. Thompson found M.Roberts, who cut inside and fired into the bottom corner – his second of the game. 

Dunwell’s side picked up where they left on and went close to adding another to their tally, when Hayes fired narrowly wide just two minutes into the second-half. 

Stockton did make it 4-0 in the 58th-minute when Hayes found Thompson, who rifled the ball into the roof of the net. 

The forward almost bagged a second, but his audacious lob from 25-yards out narrowly went over the bar. 

Stockton continued their spell on top, but were denied a fifth goal after M.Roberts’ thunderous strike hit the woodwork and bounced clear. 

Substitute Dale Mulligan looked to have got himself on the score sheet, with a header appearing to cross the line, but the officials judged otherwise. 

Matty Tymon, who came on for Elliott Beddow midway through the second-half, had a chance of his own on 79 minutes, with Hitchcock being equal to the shot. 

Stockton Town: C.Roberts, King, McWilliams, Portas, Nicholson (D.Mulligan, 56), Coulthard, Hayes, N.Mulligan, Beddow (Tymon, 63), Thompson (Cooke, 67), M.Roberts 

Subs Not Used: Hall, O’Neil 

Bridlington Town: Hitchcock, Lewis, Sutton, Stokes (Yates, 67), Williamson, Bulless, Dixon, Griffin, Martindale (Coulfield, 64), Norfolk, Broadley (Adyemir, 55) 

Subs Not Used: Plummer, Norton 

Goals: 1-0, 30 min, M.Roberts; 2-0. 39 min, N.Mulligan; 3-0, 44 min, M.Roberts; 4-0, 58 min, Thompson 

Referee: Steven Lawson 

Assistants: Barry Brooks and Matthew Morton 

Attendance: 451 

Words: Andrew McDonnell 

Photo: Harry Cook