Beckenham too hot for Dean Cox’s Lancing to handle

Beckenham have acclimatised well to the Isthmian league since their promotion at the end of the 2021/22 season but, after a run of three successive victories, against Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Chichester, their opening game of 2023 saw them succumb to a 4-0 defeat away to Sevenoaks Town.

They were clearly smarting from this kick up the backside and were convincing winners, overcoming Lancing 4-0 at Eden Park Avenue, a win that leaves them in 6th place on 35 points.

Lancing were without the services of Sam Bull after his Player of the Match award on his debut against Littlehampton. Sam was recalled by Eastbourne Borough, for whom he made a substitute appearance in their 2-0 defeat away to Bath City.

Reece Hallard was back in the starting line-up with Will Berry and Ollie Starkey. Modou Jammeh and Tyrone Madhani dropped to the bench.

Lancing began the game brightly with Kane Louis prominent early on trying to set Starkey in on goal, then, after receiving an excellent pass from Mo Zabadne delivered a cross from wide on the right towards Hallard but the ball did not run kindly for him and an opportunity for a shot on goal fell away.

Kyle O’Brien and Starkey were both running at the Becks defence. Kyle had Lancing’s first shot on target after waltzing through a couple of tackles, but it lacked power. Starkey twisted and turned to reach the by-line and win a corner. Tom Butler made a valiant effort to connect with the corner ball with a volley as he fell backwards but could not position himself to make a good contact.

Once the Becks had settled into the game, their wide men, Steve Townsend, on the left and Stefan Cox on the right, were looking dangerous. The pacy Townsend was brought down by Mo Zabadne, desperate to make a tackle to halt his run on goal and he received a caution with only 15 minutes gone.

The breakthrough came for the Becks on 23 minutes. Lancing had to defend a couple of corners, Alieu Secka reaching the first but conceding a second corner and as the ball was delivered into the six-yard box he could only palm the ball away but not far enough to clear the waiting Rob Carter who volleyed powerfully into the roof of the net.

Both O’Brien and Starkey continued to get forward but as Ollie was pressurising a defender near the byline, he sustained an injury which meant he could not continue. On came Modou Jammeh and he made a quick impact with a shot which keeper Nick Blue turned behind for a corner. O’Brien initiated the move with a clever dummy on the left wing, switching the ball to Hallard who had made strides into the box and set up Modou for his attempt.

Just when it looked as if Lancing would reach half time with only a 1-0 deficit, the game appeared to be placed out of reach with two goals in two minutes.

Surprisingly, referee Daniel Doyle penalised Owen Spicer for the faintest of touches on the by-line which resulted in Steve Townsend ending up on the ground and the referee pointing to the penalty spot. Townsend picked himself up and took the spot kick, hammering an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net.

Two minutes later, on 45 minutes, Lancing were made to suffer from the incorrect award of a corner. A corner had rightly been awarded on the left but the ball in from the corner cleared everyone before going behind on the right. The referee was the only one who saw that it had touched Lancing player en route and awarded a corner from the right. Lancing seemed to have suffered a lack of concentration, no doubt aggrieved by couple of harsh decisions, and failed to clear their lines, allowing centre back Mudiaga Wanogho to put his side three up.

Lancing were looking to salvage some respect in the second half, even though overcoming a 3-0 deficit might prove too high a hurdle. But less than 10 minutes into the second half, the task facing them grew even more challenging as Carter got his second to put the Becks even further ahead.

One thing about Lancing teams is that they keep on trying to the final minute. Substitutions were made on 60 minutes with Ashley Mutongerwa, back in the squad after being unavailable for a few weeks, and Jake LeGrange coming on for Zabadne and Louis. Will Berry had switched positions with O’Brien.

Jammeh was finding space in which to operate and his influence was growing, and with Finn Daniels-Yeoman, Darius Goldsmith and Hallard all striving to get forward, Lancing were creating scoring opportunities. Finn had a shot blocked, Hallard had a header just over and a strike just wide. Finn put a ball towards the goal and it landed on the cross bar.

Mutongerwa did well to hold off a strong challenge and drive in a cross, put behind for a corner. Darius Goldsmith put in a good strike from 25 yards which narrowly cleared the cross bar. LeGrange crossed to Daniels-Yeoman who nodded the ball to Reece Hallard whose snap shot flew over the bar and this was followed by Reece Hallard putting a ball in from the left which dropped onto the cross bar.

There was plenty of effort from Lancing until the final whistle, putting them in the right frame of mind for the Sussex Senior Cup match against Worthing on Tuesday night.

Hallard was named MoM, having been impressed by his never say die attitude.

Lancing host Haywards Heath next Saturday in a crucial encounter for both sides.

Lancing: Alieu Secka, Mohammed Zabadne, Thomas Butler, Owen Spicer, Will Berry, Finn Daniels-Yeoman (Capt.), Darius Goldsmith, Reece Hallard, Kyle O’Brien, Ollie Starkey, Kane Louis. Substitutes : Modou Jammeh, Tyrone Madhani, Jake LeGrange, Charles Towning, Ashley Mutongerwa.