Beaconsfield Town 3 Marine 4

Match Report from Pete Crockett

Marine win a seven goal thriller

This thrilling match was, from an entertainment perspective, a credit to the Southern League. It was also a match of four acts. Act one was the first half where Beaconsfield Town were certainly more than worthy of their first half lead. Act two was the first twenty minutes of the second half where the two teams went toe-to-toe and Marine could feel, on the balance of play, unfortunate to find themselves 3-1 down.

Act three was the period between 65 and 86 minutes when Marine found their form and scored three excellent goals to go 4-3 in front. The Act four finale - a nerve wracking final ten minutes, including injury time, where the hosts applied sustained pressure and Marine had to defend with discipline and determination.

Henry Spalding had an early effort at goal
Photo by Alex White Photography

So how exactly did it all unfold? Well, the first quarter of an hour was a spell where neither side created many clear-cut openings. Marine had a half chance two minutes in when a testing right-wing corner was dropped by the host’s keeper who did well to retrieve the ball at the second attempt.

Four minutes later it was the home team’s turn to have a half chance when a left-wing cross from James Dobson found Jake Gosling on the right. The Rams’ number seven moved the ball from right to left foot and fired an effort just wide.

On 18 minutes the home team sprang Marine’s defensive line when Josh Payne played in Sam Togwell who found himself clear in a central position and a mere twelve yards from goal. However, Marine keeper Conor Brann was alert to the danger and made an excellent point blank save.

Sam Togwell has his hands on in head in disbelief after Conor Brann saved his effort
Photo by Alex White Photography

As the half progressed the Rams were building a momentum. They were pressing with zeal thus winning the ball back swiftly. They were also assisted by Marine struggling to pass with the assuredness evident in recent matches.

The home team went close again in the 21st minute when Luke Neville headed a ball across goal from a James Dobson corner but, much to Marine’s relief, no one could get on the end of it.

Sam Turl goes over after Zidane Akers pushes him in the back but the referee played on
Photo by Alex White Photography

At this juncture of the game Marine were hanging on and it was thus little surprise when the hosts took the lead just before the half hour mark. Tom McElroy found himself in space on the left edge of the Marine penalty area.

He moved across the box and fired in a right footed shot that beat Conor Brann at the near post. Often with near post goals questions might be asked of the keeper but not in this case – this was just a quality finish.

On 30 minutes, and somewhat against the balance of play, Marine equalised. Henry Spalding with a precision pass played in Dave Sims-Burgess who from 20-yards out hit a low shot that went just inside the far post to put Marine on level terms.

Dave Sims-Burgess scores his first goal and our first equaliser
Photo by Alex White Photography

Parity was only to last two minutes as on 32 minutes Marine were behind again. A James Dobson cross from the left was deftly glanced home by Tom McElroy. A well worked and taken goal by the former Slough Town forward.

Beaconsfield take the lead again with Tom McElroy’s deft header was headed home in the bottom corner
Photo by Alex White Photography

On 39 minutes the Marine faithful behind the goal howled for a penalty when the home team keeper dived at the feet of the advancing Dave Sims-Burgess. However, the consensus was that referee Chris Poole called it absolutely correctly and that the keeper had got a solid hand on the ball.

That said the howls of anguish for a penalty were also exacerbated by the fact that Marine supporters are struggling to recall the last time their side had been the recipient of a penalty award in their favour?

At half time as the Marine faithful sipped on their Bovril, or something stronger, the consensus was that their team were probably fortunate to go in at the interval only one goal in arrears. Marine had struggled to pass with their recent fluency; were surrendering possession too frequently in dangerous areas; and were, in all honesty, being out battled by the home team.

Joe Tumelty gets his head to the ball first
Photo by Alex White Photography

The start of the second half saw a much more even first twenty minutes. The two sides were now really going at each other – attack, counter-attack, attack, counter-attack. It was an absorbing spectacle.

Two minutes into the second half Marine were under pressure again. The home team worked the ball effectively down the left flank and Zidan Akers curled a delectable ball across the Marine six-yard box that eluded the advancing strikers.

Then two minutes later Marine’s Shea Mannings cut a threatening ball back from the goal line that was well gathered by the host’s keeper. On 50 minutes Ash Yearwood hit a well struck shot from the edge of the box that Marine’s Conor Brann saved well. The same player two minutes later forced the Marine keeper into further action following a slick bit of passing with James Dobson.

Liban Ibrahim replaced Zack Kotwica and stretched the home defence with his work down the left flank
Photo by Alex White Photography

With 55 minutes elapsed, it was the Beaconsfield keeper Matt Rowley was called into action when had to readjust his footing to parry a Jake Andrews shot wide of goal for a good save. Marine were now stepping up the pressure and had a five-minute spell where they were penning the host’s back in their own half.

On the hour mark Marine went close again when Dave Sims-Burgess was played in, and his attempted lob of the keeper was desperately clawed wide of the post by another good save from home keeper Rowley.

There was a sense that a momentum was starting to build for Marine but then, from their perspective, disaster struck. In the 62nd minute determined attacking play by Tom McElroy saw the striker win possession against the odds and advance towards goal. He hit a well struck near post shot that the Marine keeper got a hand to but could not keep out.

It was 3-1 to Beaconsfield Town and was that the game over? Not with this Marine team. They picked themselves up and showed some tremendous fighting spirit. Suddenly things were starting to click with substitutes Brad Gray and Liban Ibrahim seeming to help lift the tempo of the team’s attacking play.

In the 74th minute Marine reduced the deficit to one. Following some good build up play the ball fell to Joe Tumelty on the edge of the area and he curled the ball with perfect precision into the back of the net. It was game on!

Marine press the Beaconsfield defensive as they look to score an equaliser
Photo by Alex White Photography

Marine were now firing on all cylinders. It was now the hosts struggling to retain possession and the visitors looking the more threatening. On 76 minutes some excellent passing between Liban Ibrahim and Henry Spalding saw the latter’s low cross from the left zip across the face of the goal with the advancing Marine attackers little more than a stud length away from making contact for an equaliser.

Mat Liddiard was the next Marine player to have a great chance to equalise when a corner was deflected across the goal and as he headed the ball off the bounce it look destined for the top corner but home keeper Matt Rowley shuffled his feet and stretch to touch the ball wide for another good save.

Mat Liddiard’s effort is well saved
Photo by Alex White Photography

Two minutes later a well struck Jake Andrews free kick forced the now busy home keeper into yet another good save. Marine were now the team with the momentum and it was no surprise when in the 80th minute Dave Sims-Burgess scored his second goal. Played in he advanced into the box and finished with admirable composure hitting another low shot past the keeper and into the bottom corner.

Dave Sims-Burgess scored his second and Marine’s second equaliser to make it 3-3
Photo by Alex White Photography

At 3-3 it now felt that if there was to be a winner it would be Marine. That proved to be the case when in the 86th minute a loose clearance from Matt Rowley was intercepted. The ball was played to Jake Andrews who from some twenty-five yards from goal hit a perfectly struck screamer into the back of the net before the keeper could move. It was an exceptional goal worthy of winning any match!

Wow! Jake Andrews has just scored Marine’s fourth goal and winner with a screamer
Photo by Alex White Photography

That said the Rams were not going to go down without a fight. They laid siege to the Marine box forcing a series of corners and throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at their opponents. However, Marine, who had looked so vulnerable in the first half, defended brilliantly putting themselves on the line to block shots, win headers and stop crosses.

At the final whistle the mood of the two teams, and their respective supporters, were total opposites. Those with a home team allegiance will understandably have felt they deserved something from the match – it is in all honesty unusual to have a striker score a hat-trick and finish up on the losing side.

Conversely the Marine players, management, and supporters will have felt both relief to have secured a victory and a sense of wonderment at the way the team, in a twenty-minute spell, produced a quality of football that really was spell binding.

Two Beaconsfield players can’t believe the score as the players celebrate Jake’s screamer
Photo by Alex White Photography

Sometimes in football victory is about having the willpower to dig deep in adversity to find a way to win. This Marine team showed that they have that spirit in abundance.

As a result of this victory Marine find themselves in 15th place in the league table. In terms of the ten-match form table, they are joint second having secured 22 points out of a possible 30. It is now all about keeping this impressively positive form going.

Come on Marine!

Credit to referee Christopher Poole and his assistants who officiated in an unobtrusive manner and allowed the game to flow.

Editors Beaconsfield Star Man: Tom McElroy
Editors Marine Star Men: Dave Sims-Burgess and Jake Andrews
Attendance: 120

Line Ups

Beaconsfield Town
Manager: Jon Underwood
Colours: All Red Line-up: 1. Matt Rowley 4. Sam Togwell 5. Luke Neville (c) 6. Jacques Kpohomouh 7. Dan Bradshaw 8. Asher Yearwood 9. Jake Gosling 10. Zidan Akers 11. James Dobson 17. Tom McElroy 20. Josh Payne
Subs Not Used: 3. Ben Van Aurich, 12. Iker Noguera Leon, 14. Adan Okorogheye 16. Dan Roth, 18. Jefferson Louis Goalscorers: Tom McElroy 12’, 33’, 64’
Cards:
Jake Gosling 45’, Josh Payne 77’
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Swindon Supermarine
Head Coach: Stuart Fleetwood
Colours: All Blue
Line-up: 1. Conor Brann 2. Sam Turl 3. Ryan Campbell 4. Mat Liddiard 5. Ioan Richards 6. Jake Andrews (c) 7. Henry Spalding 51’ 8. Zack Kotwica (14. Liban Ibrahim 46’) 9. Dave Sims-Burgess 10. Joe Tumelty 11. Shea Mannings (14. Brad Gray 60’)
Subs not used: 12. Toby Raison, 13. Louis Evans, 15 Jamie Edge
Goalscorers: Dave Sims-Burgess 29’, 80’, Joe Tumelty 74’, Jake Andrews 86’
Cards:
Jake Andrews 85’
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Match Gallery

Click here for Match Photo’s
Courtesy of Alex White Photography

Team Sheet

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Match Officials

Referee: Chris Poole
Assistant Referees: Marcus Tingey, Josh Burns