21st April 2001
 
 

Stedham United 0:4 Upper Beeding

After what seems like an interminably long season Upper Beeding are almost
there. A home win on Monday evening against bottom club Cowfold will see the
crowned West Sussex Football League Premier Division Champions for the first
time.

Saturday's 4-0 win at Stedham saw them play some of their best football foe
weeks, at times making their hosts look positively pedestrian. For the first
twenty minutes Beeding were simply irresistible without turning their
superiority of possession into something more tangible.

It eventually arrived on thirty minutes. Lee Strange was away on the left,
cut in and fired a fierce near post drive which came back off an upright,
for Stuart Barry to reach double figures for Beeding for the first time.

Five minutes later it was two. Glyn Edmonds right wing cross was fumbled by
the Stedham 'keeper and Paul "the Growler" Barker pounced, driving in  left
footed.

When Strange was dumped spectacularly in the penalty area after forty two
minutes Gary Salter stepped up to send yet another goalkeeper diving in the
wrong direction from the resultant penalty.

It was cruise control for Beeding after the break with Stedham struggling to
get any share of possession at all. The home side were reduced to ten men
after sixty five minutes for a defenders needless head but on young Stuart
Barry.

Beeding, in party mood, created and wasted chance after chance. Strange was
not the only one to have left his shooting boots at home. Mat Doo, David
Smith
Barry, Edmonds and substitute debutante Justin Tarrent all missed good
chances.
Eventually, the Stedham defence showed the way with their centre half
majestically sweeping Edmonds cross past his own hapless custodian.
John Burgess's work rate  was inspirational and Jamie Ireson, Steve Barber,
Salter and Scott Redfern remained untroubled at the back.

Beeding:S. Redfern; J. Ireson, S. Barber, G. Salter; G. Edmonds,
P. Barker, J.Burgess (Capt), M. Doo, M.Salter; S. Barry, L. Strange.

Subs: D. Smith (Doo 60")
J. Tarrant (Barker 70")
V. Gretton (n.u)