Two players and manager Faili sent off - an afternoon to forget for Three Bridges

Bizarrely, the visitors looked as threatening as their hosts when it was nine against eleven.

Whitstable suffered an early blow when Connor Sanders went off injured, but it was his replacement who opened the scoring after 21 minutes.

A drive by Liam Gilles was diverted for a corner, and eventually this invited a cross to the far post where Leo Mazzone looked unmarked to head home.

Two minutes later a free kick by Marshall Wratten glanced in with the aid of a deflection for Aaron Millbank to celebrate Town's second goal, and one sensed it wasn't going to be Bridges' day when Andrew Sesay was adjudged offside as he bundled the ball home two minutes later.

A low free kick by Andre McCollin was comfortably held by Dan Eason, but Bridges' cause was further dampened when referee Graeme Ions was quick to flash a red card to Brannon O'Neill three minutes before half time for a foul which had even the Whitstable committee divided as to whether it should have been red, yellow or not even a colour at all! Where's VAR when you need it.

McCollin forced Eason to a good save barely seconds into the second half, but Whitstable tried to make use of the extra man but Mazzone had an effort blocked whilst Kieron Thorp was equal to strikes by Gillies and Millbank.

Tom Bryant somehow scooped one over the bar from a couple of feet, and after 64 minutes Jake Mackenzie was only shown a yellow card for what the Bridges bench was a worse challenge than the one O'Neill had been sent off for. Manager Paul Faili let his feelings be known and was promptly dismissed for his comments.

Luke Girt sent an effort over the bar soon after and then came the dismissal of Troy Williams for a foul which again had even home fans divided, but it was Bridges who had the best of the play by this time. Tom Tolfrey was frustrated to be adjudged offside as another Sesay crisis caused panic in the home defence, whilst Eason made an excellent save to deny Antone Douglas, who had looked to be nearing his best again in the left back slot.

Thorp denied former Bridges player Marcus Elliott, whilst another ex Bridges man John Ufuah was denied through offside. But the visiting defence, once again superbly led by Dean Gunner, proved stubborn, although maybe better sides than Whitstable will have made Bridges pay heavier for their lack of numbers in the end.

Aerotron Man of the Match - Dean Gunner.

This Saturday Bridges are at home to Ramsgate in the League.