Beccles battle in vain

AFTER having the previous week's match against Norwich City cancelled due to the icy conditions, Beccles continued their poor run of league games with a 4-3 defeat against bottom-placed Denver.

This win for Denver takes them off the bottom of Division One of the Martin & Acock League, with Beccles dropping to fourth place on goal difference.

Beccles soon went behind after Denver incepted a pass and rapidly made for goal, leaving the defence no time to get back.

They increased their lead 13 minutes into the second half with another well-taken goal.

Undeterred, Beccles continued to fight hard but the Denver players made it very difficult to find any space. Beccles pulled one back when Annette Freeman had a short run down the right and immediately she reached the D she powered the ball hard into the back of the goal, giving the defence no chance.

Three minutes later Beccles levelled the score with a great team display. A string of passes which started from the from a free hit deep in the Beccles half, involving five players, Max Gibbs, Ali Foreman, Debbie Mann, Carol Maycock and Annette Freeman, saw Carol Maycock put a superb long ball through to Annette Freeman, splitting the Denver defence. Annette then slotted the ball home to level the score at 2-2.

Denver continued to press forward and eight minutes before half-time they hit the ball high into the back of the net.

The game was fairly evenly matched with plenty of end-to-end play, but Denver had the edge with two exceptionally fast forwards causing problems for the Beccles defence, who were kept busy and worked extremely hard to keep Beccles in the game.

There was no further score until Denver increased their one goal lead 19 minutes into the second half. Beccles came back again, this time through Carol Maycock's sheer determination in front of goal to get the ball past the keeper.

Despite Beccles' best efforts, they could not draw level and came away with nothing.

This week Beccles play UEA with a 10.30am start at Loddon.