Storm Dennis rolled across the UK on Saturday afternoon, but Bamber Bridge were battered by Storm Scarborough on a day when the home side totally dominated proceedings, scoring 5, missing a penalty before taking their foot of the gas to coast to a very comfortable victory.

Bamber Bridge had won the toss and opted to play the first half with the wind at their backs. In the opening exchanges it had seemed to be the correct decision. Brig forcing a series of corners and penning the hosts into their own penalty area. The strength of the wind was shown as a home defender stuck the ball forward to clear from the edge of the area, the ball climbed, turned in mid air and flew back over his own cross bar to give Brig another corner,

Richie Allen had come close in the opening minutes to latching on to a through ball but the wind whipped the ball away from him as he shaped to shoot. The nearest Brig came to opening the scoring came as an inswinging corner beat the keeper but was scrambled off the line and cleared. That sadly was as good as it got for the Lancashire visitors as the Yorkshire hosts started to take control and handle the conditions superbly.

Keeping the ball on the deck and using the artificial surface to their advantage, the home side began to dominate the half and took the lead on 15 minutes. Danny Roccia made a fine save forcing a corner. The ball was caught in the wind falling perfectly for James Walshaw to stab home. Brig responded and forced two further corners, both cleared before Keiran Charnock tried his look with a close range volley which sailed over the bar before the Brig centre half collided with the goalpost and required treatment.

Just three minutes later and the home side doubled their lead. Michael Coulson raced on to a through ball, he looked to be running away from goal but as Danny Roccia came to make the block, he upended the Boro striker and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, Coulson dusted himself down before slotting home the penalty for a 2-0 lead to the Seadogs.

The rest of the half saw the home side completely dominate proceedings whilst playing into the gale force wind. A 30 yard free kick form Matt Dudley from which the home keeper made a comfortable save was all the Brig side had to show for their efforts. The half coming to an end with a 2 goal advantage to the hosts.

The second half began with Scarborough now playing with the wind at their backs and immediately they had Brig on the back foot. Brig had made a change at the break, Matt Dudley who had taken a knock was replaced by Sheldon Green, back from his short recall with AFC Fylde. Just 4 minutes into the Half Boro thought they had their 3rd but the linesman's flag was raised to rule out the effort. They didn't have long to wait however as just seconds later Ryan Watson smashed a 20 yard screamer in to the back of the Brig net to make the score 3-0. Brig were on the ropes and the home side went in for the kill.

With the result no longer in any doubt, it looked to be a damage limitation exercise for Brig but further damage was inflicted on 55 minutes when Scarborough added a 4th. James Walshaw grabbing his 2nd of the match with a free header from a left wing cross. Moments earlier Sheldon Green had seen a Brig effort poked wide from 5 yards. Probably to the relief of the Brig winger, the linesman had his flag up so it wouldn’t have counted anyway.
The home side roared on by the 859 crowd continued to pour forward with their wind assisted attacks and it was no surprise at all when a 5th goal was added in the 62nd minute. Walshaw claiming his hat trick. A rare Brig corner had been cleared upfield and a square ball from the left saw Coulson sweep the ball home. “Easy, Easy” chanted the home support at the small band of Brig supporters behind the opposite goal.

Brig made two further changes at this point in proceedings. Daniel Wisdom and Chris Churchman being replaced by Joe Booth and Danny Forbes. But before either had any chance to be involved, Boro where awarded a 2nd penalty and a chance to make it 6.

Danny Roccia dived left to make a fine save and keep the score to five. The saved penalty seemed to give Brig a lift, and the home side looked to have settled for their 5 goal advantage and Bamber Bridge enjoyed their best spell of the match. Danny Forbes had already seen a shot deflected for a corner before he tried his luck again, cutting inside from the right and letting fly with a fierce shot, the home keeper dived to his right pushing the ball down into the artificial surface, the ball bounced up and over the head of the advancing Richie Allen. That would not have happened on grass. It really wasn’t our day !!

Richie Allen, hobbling by this stage, but Brig had already made all three available changes, continued to press for a consolation and saw another effort hooked off the goal-line. The home side made one more effort to grab a 6th but Danny Roccia made another top save, tipping the ball over the bar form a wind assisted thunderbolt shot from outside the area. The corner was cleared and the referee blew for full time to the cheers and applause of the home support.

Bamber Bridge had suffered their worst defeat under Jamie Milligan but Scarborough are currently on a roll and looked to me to the best side we have faced this season. A late surge to the play off's looks a distinct possibility for The Seadogs.

For Bamber Bridge, we dust ourselves down and look forward to what is likely to be an equally daunting task as ex Manager “Reno” and his FC United side roll up to the Sir Tom Finney Stadium next weekend.

Full Time: Scarborough Athletic - 5 Bamber Bridge – 0

Att: 859

Bamber Bridge: Roccia, Thompson, Marlow, Spooner (Capt.), Charnock, Wisdom, Roache, Churchman, Dudley, Thommason, Allen

Subs: Booth, Green, Doughty, Forbes, Waddecar

Match reporter: Alan Bateson