PEACEHAVEN RES. 2-3 Upper Beeding
(H-T:2-0)

The Final of this years’ Vernon Wentworth Cup promises to be an interesting
affair as Upper Beeding and neighbours Steyning Town will be the contestants
next month at Culver Road.

But for Mick Barry and his coaching staff, things were to get much worse
before their team eventually awoke and disposed of Peacehaven Reserves.

In the first period Beeding were as poor as they have ever been and although
Gary Salter did have an early chance whipped off his toe by Peacehaven
skipper Andy Cooke, it was not long before the home side were in the
ascendancy. After eleven minutes David Smith failed to pick up Chris
Browning from a throw in and the ball was moved on to Joe Kitambie, via the
lively Jason Edwards. The space and time Kitambie had merited a better
finish than the side netting.

Sill, no matter. Beeding were not in the mood to heed warnings and within
ten minutes fell behind from an almost exact same situation.

Edwards, again in space on the right, slipped the ball through to Kitambie
who flicked the ball over a static Mark Friend - James and, as Scott Redfern
hesitated, lobbed the ball casually over the stranded Beeding ‘keeper.

Beeding huffed and puffed and spent most of the half niggling at each other
and their performance was summed up when Friend James knocked a short free
kick to skipper John Burgess who was walking away from him at the time and
with seven men in their opponents’ box, Beeding were lucky not to be
punished further by Rob Browns’ break.

Thirty five minutes saw Beeding fall further behind. Browns’ forty yard shot
from the left hand touch line found its’ way into the back of Redferns’ net
with the bewildered Beeding keeper seemingly waving to a long lost friend in
the imaginary upper tier of Peacehavens’ main stand.

There have been times before when Mick Barry has had much to do at half
time. This week he was joined in the tea cup throwing by his normally placid
right hand man, Vic Gretton whose plaster shattering outburst not only
ripped apart his teams' performance but seemed to sent them back out with a
steely determination which took the satisfied home side somewhat by
surprise.

In fact, it took only four minutes for Beeding to get back into the game.
Glyn Edmonds’ flighted corner was met fully by the ever dependable Salter to
score through a melee of defenders.

It should have been 2-2 on the hour when, after fine work by Paul Barker and
Burgess, Smith pulled his finish wide.

Barry replaced Joe Bennett with Lee Strange after 64 minutes and the move
almost paid immediate dividends as Strange chipped both Gary Gaston in the
Peacehaven goal and, unfortunately, the crossbar too.
With six minutes remaining Beeding got their just reward for a spirited
second half display when Salters’ cross was spectacularly volley back across
Gaston by Strange for the equaliser.

With extra time looming, Beeding were in no mood to let their hosts off the
hook. And when Edmonds stepped up for another corner it was the head of
Salter which steered them into a final which had looked far beyond them just
forty five minutes earlier.

There was still time for Strange to have a late effort ruled out for off
side.

Upper Beeding: Scott Redfern, Terry Gretton, Mark Fiend - James, Darren
Jordan; Glyn Edmonds, John Burgess (capt.), P. Barker, S. Barry; David
Smith: Gary Salter, Joe Bennett.

Substitutes: Lee Strange (Bennett 64")
Jamie Ireson (n.u.)
Lewis Partridge (n.u.)