SDFL Division One
Stoke Gabriel reserves 3
IN torrential rain from start to finish, both teams played some superb football despite the ever-increasing surface water.
The game was only two minutes old when Matt Shaw was fouled out wide on the right. Will Garner’s trusty left foot whipped in an excellent free-kick which was headed home at the far post by Kurt Thiele.
Beesands were bossing the game with Jed Tucker terrorising the visitors, not only with his pace but his unselfish hard work and closing down.
Ten minutes in and Tucker showed great vision, flicking the ball over his head and the defender marking him for Thiele to steal in and slot the ball past the advancing ‘keeper.
There then followed a 10-minute spell where Danny Tucker could have bagged a hat-trick. Elliot Bellamy was narrowly wide from distance and when J Tucker outstripped the Stoke defence, his cross from an acute angle was begging to be put away but no-ne could keep up with the speedster.
Goal number three was simplicity itself but superbly executed. A throw-in just inside the Stoke half was taken by Shaw. Troy Carruther ran from deep into space, the throw was inch-perfect and as the ball sat up nicely he struck a dipping volley from 25 yards that left the ‘keeper flapping at thin air.
For some reason Beesands dropped off the pace a little, with Stoke hitting a post and Toby Harvey having to pull off a solid stop.
With three minutes of the half remaining the hosts went 4-0 up when Bellamy cut inside from the right and curled a beauty into the far corner.
Rather than see out the last few minutes, though, Beesands gave away a penalty which was confidently dispatched right on the half-time whistle.
The second half saw the conditions worsen; good football was still played but goal-scoring chances were a lot more limited.
On the hour Carruther’s slide-rule pass put J Tucker through one on one with the ‘keeper, Tucker finishing with aplomb for 5-1.
Stoke pulled a goal back with a stunning left-footed strike 10 minutes later and then had a period of sustained pressure, finally grabbing a third with 10 minutes left. Beesands switched the returning Finn Bullen for Shaw to play as a lone striker as Beesands closed out the rest of the game.
The players’ man of the match was a tie between Jed Tucker and Elliot Bellamy. The match ball was sponsored by Adrian Wotton of Wotton Construction Ltd.
This Saturday Beesands entertain Kingskerswell and Chelston reserves, 2.30pm kick-off.