THREE Bridges went top of the County League thanks to a comprehensive 5-1 victory over bottom club Chichester City last night.
They now only need to win one match from their remaining two games against Peacehaven on Saturday and Rye Utd next week to clinch the title.
It took Bridges just five minutes to get off the mark when Marlon Maxwell chipped a ball back into the box for Charlie Cooke to rise and head past stand in keeper Scott Dormer.
But Dormer then made a fine low save at his near post to keep out the excellent Callum Donaghey’s header.
Abu Touray looked set to score in the 13th minute and seemed to be clipped by Scott Madle before the visitors’ left back managed to deflect the shot onto the post and away to safety.
Bridges eventually doubled their tally after 34 minutes when a Tim Rivers free-kick was met by Ellis Hooper’s head but then handled by a defender.
Up stepped Rivers to net from the spot, but Bridges were given a warning less than a minute later when a snap shot by Chichester captain Perry Notheast was only just wide with Simon Lehkyj rooted to the spot.
The home side continued to dominate however and Joel O’Hara saw his header from Rivers’ corner blocked on the line.
But then a goalbound header by Cooke was turned over the bar by O’Hara himself.
But five minutes before the break he atoned as he accepted a neat lay-off from Donaghey and went past two defenders with ease before shooting, his final effort being helped over the line by Touray, who looked suspiciously offside.
The half ended with Lehkyj tipping over and angled drive from the always dangerous Tom Smith, while the second half started with a sublime Rivers volley being pushed away by Dormer.
Then after 58 minutes came what was probably the goal of the game as Sam Bastone’s cross came to Smith, who smacked a delicious 25 yard volley past Lehkyj for a City consolation.
Fortunately Bridges restored their three-goal advantage within two minutes when O’Hara’s cross shot from the left dipped over Dormer into the far corner of the net.
In the 67th minute Donaghey’s cross was nodded in by Touray, who thus became Bridges’ leading scorer so far this season, but he might well have had four or five on the night.
Bridges are already well behind on goal difference with their two leading challengers, and that’s something that Siao Blackwood will be grateful for after he managed to spoon his 83rd minute shot over the bar from O’Hara’s low cross.
BRIDGES: Lehkyj, Carden, Cooke, Howard, Hooper (Romaine, 67), Grant, O’Hara, Maxwell, Donaghey, Rivers (Faber, 64), Touray (Blackwood, 75). Unused - Bates, Woodward.
AEROTRON MAN OF THE MATCH: Charlie Cooke