UPPER BEEDING 4-1 Ansty Rangers
(H-T:1-1)

Upper Beeding Manager Mick Barry was livid with his teams’ lethargic victory
which sent Ansty to the bottom of County League Division three on Saturday.

“It appears to me that there are too many players who seem satisfied with
our league position,” he said “we are safe from the relegation battle, and,
perhaps, too far away from the front runners to make a promotional
challenge. But that is not an excuse to coast along for the rest of the
league programme, thinking fifth or sixth place is an acceptable achievement
for our first season in the County League. If the players out there today
won’t do it, There will be drastic changes to the team sheet, and with
youngsters like Joe Swanson, Gary Bacon, Lewis Partridge and Joe Bennett all
pressing for a first team place there should be a few players looking
nervously over their shoulder”.

It was a poor performance. But if Barry thinks he has problems, spare a
thought for Anstys’ experienced Manager Dudley Christiansen, who arrived
without coaching staff or a physio and who’s two best players, Keith
Chamberlain and Roy Agyie are both 38 years of age.

Beeding started slowly, and a stronger side than Ansty would have caused
serious problems for the ponderous home side. David Smiths’ snap shot on ten
minutes was easily dealt with by Chris Jones and Mat Doo fired across goal
ten minutes later from Jamie Iresons’ free kick and Gary Salters’ flick on.

Beeding took the lead after 26 minutes. Brian Newtons’ back pass was not
dealt with by Jones and Doo skipped onto the rebound and finished calmly.

That should have been the signal for Beeding to push on and punish their
visitors and with Gary Salters’ over head kick from brother Marks’ cross
within a minute, so it seemed.

But no. It was only a matter of seconds later that Gary Woolgars’ clearance,
fell for Agyie who put Mat Horsecroft through to fire the ball over the
advancing Scott Redfern for the equaliser.

Chamberlain could have given Ansty the lead from the second half kick off
but shot wide having shown Terry Gretton a clean pair of heels.

Mark Salters’ corner found brother Garys’ head after five minutes and
Gretton back heeled the knock down wide and Mark Salters cross rolled
along the top of Jones’s’ cross bar to safety a couple of minutes later.

Redfern tipped over Stuart Chatfields’ long range effort and Horsecroft
should have done better than hit a post minutes later.

Lee Strange restored Beedings’ lead mid way through the half. Receiving the
ball wide on the right from the ever industrious Paul Barker, he skipped
past Paul Richardson and his far post cross or shot deceived Jones and
nestled in the top corner.

Fitness was telling, and Ansty were severely lacking in that commodity. Doo
was replaced by Glyn Edmonds, returning after a bout of flu, and immediately
caused Jones a problem. Edmonds’ low shot eluded the Ansty stopper but
Newton was on hand to clear off the line.

Barker blazed over from the edge of the box with only Jones to beat after 71
minutes. It was not to be his worst miss of the afternoon.

Gary Salter got on the score sheet on 76 minutes. Strange fed Edmonds, on
the right and the teenagers’ low cross was met at the far post by Salters’
left boot.

Mark Friend - James came on for David Smith as Beeding turned the screw on a
rapidly tiring Ansty side. Stranges’ deliberate strike was well kept out by
Jones before Strange out paced Friend - James to Gary Salters’ flick on to
score his second of the game.

There was still time for Barker to miss the target from two yards before
referee Paul John put us all out of our misery by blowing the final whistle.

Upper Beeding: Scott Redfern, Terry Gretton, Gary Woolgar, Jamie Ireson;
Mat Doo, John Burgess (capt.), P. Barker, M. Salter; David Smith, Gary
Salter, Lee Strange.

Substitutes: G. Edmonds (Doo 50")
M. Friend - James (Smith 76")
V. Gretton (n.u.)