According to match referee Peter Hudson, it took David Smith just 19 seconds to open the scoring as Beeding demolished Cowfold 6-1 on Saturday. The second consecutive home match when they have scored 6 times. From the Cowfold kick off, Smith intercepted a pass on the half way line and left 3 defenders trailing in his wake as he dispatched a left foot shot past the helpless Ian Holland in the Cowfold goal.

Stirred into action, Cowfold were level within 4 minutes. Poor defending allowed Anthony Parsons to get between Duncan Driver and Darren Jordan to beat Scott Redfern from 8 yards. Beeding picked up the pace of the game, but a bobbly surface caused more passes to go astray than find their intended targets.

After 22 minutes Beeding regained the lead. Mark Salter combined well with Smith down the left, with Smith finishing the move beating Holland at his near post.

Mick Barrys' half time talk demanded better communication and improved movement from his players and they certainly responded with a second half performance which left the Cowfold players completely shell shocked.

10 minutes into the half Steph Gretton found Smith whose cross was flicked on by Lee Strange for Salter to volley home from 10 yards.

Stuart Barry made it 4-1 on the hour racing onto another Strange flick to deftly chip the advancing Holland. Barry could have added a 5th 2 minutes later from an identical move, but on this occasion his chip cleared Holland but struck the bar.

With 12 minutes remaining Salvers' deep corner was headed goalwards by Steve Barber but cleared of the line by Colin Beasley, only to fall to Gretton who scored his 3rd of the season via the underside of the crossbar.

A rare Cowfold attack saw good work from the impressive Parsons provide John Bradshaw with the opportunity to reduce the arrears from 6 yards, but the striker could only look on in disbelief as Redfern somehow managed to palm his shot to safety.

Things got even worse for Cowfold as the match neared its end, Holland and his defenders left a harmless ball for each other and Barry nipped in between them to slide the ball into an unguarded net to complete the rout.
 

Beeding: Redfern; Barber, Driver, Jordan; S.Gretton, Burgess (capt), Smith, L Johnson, M.Salter; Barry, Strange

Subs: Fricker (Burgess 58), Trower (Johnson 70)

Match Report submitted by Nick Addison.