Stalham 3 Beccles 1

Beccles returned empty-handed from their trip to promotion-chasing Stalham in the Anglian Combination Division One.

The visitors started the game and struggled when kicking into a very strong wind. This allowed Stalham to use a long ball to stretch the Beccles defence.

It only took five minutes for Stalham to break the deadlock. Heaney made a seemingly excellent and fair challenge 20 yards from goal, but the referee awarded a free-kick. A Stalham player stepped up and used the wind to his advantage by firing an unstoppable shot past Cable.

Stalham doubled their lead moments later.

From a cleared corner, the ball was played into a Stalham player who was given far too much time to control and hit a deflected effort past Cable.

A disastrous first 20 minutes was completed after Beccles conceded from another corner. A Stalham player got across his marker and glanced an excellent header past Cable.

Beccles then changed their shape and created a couple of chances.

One of those opportunities found two players at the back post unmarked following a cross, but Clarke headed against the post to leave Beccles trailing 3-0 at the break.

Beccles made a change at half-time, with Clark coming off due to illness – he was replaced by Udell.

The second half was a far more even affair, with Beccles having more of the possession, but unable to create any meaningful chances.

On 60 minutes Beccles pulled a goal back out of nothing. Barnard’s hard work put pressure on a defender and the big striker stole possession and slipped the ball past the keeper.

For the final 30 minutes Beccles huffed and puffed but could not find any more ways past a resolute Stalham defence and the game finished 3-1.

Beccles must now dust themselves down before a big derby away against Bungay tomorrow.

Beccles: Cable, Pearce, Lovelock, Shade, Shreeve, Remblance, Heaney, Harvey-Cooper, Barnard, Clarke, Clark. Subs: Udell, Mutimer, Hurren.