01st May 2001
 

Henfield 1:4 Upper Beeding

Upper Beeding completed their away league programme with a comprehensive
4-1 victory at Henfield on Monday evening. A win which means Mick Barrys'
men have won every competitive away fixture this season.

But any enjoyment taken from the win was tempered because Henfields' Jez
Shotter was carried off after 10 minutes with his right leg broken in two
places following a freak collision with Beedings' Sean Edwards.

It has to be said that, in any other season, the pitch would have been
deemed unplayable, with water laying in numerous areas.

Beeding Manager Mick Barry was forced into several changes with the central
pairing of Barber and Ireson unavailable as were the reserve team
partnership
of Steph Gretton and Darren Jordan. In came Terry Gretton for his senior
debut and, pitch conditions considered, Mark "Fish" Friend - James.

With Mat Doo, John Burgess and David Smith all missing from the middle,
Barry drafted in Burgess Hills' Sean Edwards to partner Paul Barker and
teenage Lewis Partridge made a rare appearance at right full back.

Beeding had chances to open the scoring with Edwards shooting straight at
stand in goalkeeper Rob Peckham, having a 30 yard pile driver turned over
and then one cleared off the line after Terry Grettons' effort had suffered
the same fate.

Beeding did take the lead after 45 minutes of a 55 minute long first half.
The impressive Friend - James latched onto Lee Stranges' pass on the left
wing, raced past his marker and planted his deep cross into the far top
corner of the Henfield goal.

In the seventh minute of stoppage time it was two nil. Partridges'
delightful through ball catching Willie Warne unawares, and Stuart Barrys'
pace took him gliding over the water to finish with aplomb.
Three minutes after the restart Henfield gave themselves hope when Doug
Campbell finished at the far post when, perhaps the ball should have been
cleared earlier.

The euphoria lasted two minutes before Mark Salters' corner was met by
Edwards and in the ensuing melee, Barry was on hand to coolly back heel past
the helpless Peckham.

Beeding created chance after chance as Henfield wilted in the heavy
conditions and Gary Salter was guilty of an uncharacteristic miss from six
yards, Strange blasted over from twelve and numerous deep crosses by the
rapidly tiring Friend - James went begging.

At the other end Scott Redfern had to be at his athletic best to deny
Campbell his second but it was all Henfield could muster.

Barry replaced Friend - James with Joe Bennett and Edwards with Wayne
Potbury for the final fifteen minutes and it was Bennett who created the
last goal of the evening when his cross field ball was met by Glyn Edmonds'
spectacular thunderbolt, leaving Peckham looking as if he had just been
passed by an express train.

Upper Beeding: S. Redfern; L. Partridge, T. Gretton, G. Salter,
M. Salter (capt); G. Edmonds, P. Barker,
S. Edwards, M. Friend - James: S. Barry, L. Strange.
 

Subs: W. Potbury (Edwards 70")
J. Bennett (Friend - James 75")
V. Gretton (nu)