Premier Division
Bearsted 0 Coney Hall 4
It appeared that everything was in Bearsted's favour before the start of their game against Coney Hall - four players back from last week; their opponents late arrival curtailing any pre-march preparations and then having the advantage of a powerful wind from the K.O. gave them a chance to catch the visitors cold; but a first half performance of woeful ineptitude found them 2-0 down at the break and were lucky that, but for some sloppy finishing, the game could have been all over by then. As early as the first minute Jason Reeves, keeping goal for the injured Phil Lewis,was brought into action following a flowing move from Coney Hall and it was the visitors' crisp passing and movement that set a pattern for the game that Bearsted could not match. After 15 minutes they deservedly took the lead - a good move down the right finished with the outstanding John Doherty crossing for John Hawley to place a firm header past Reeves, with the Bearsted defence totally flatfooted. On 31 minutes a through ball was latched on to by Mark Cecil and, with Bearsted appealing for a non-offside, strode on to place his shot unerringly inside the far post. The only effort of note by Bearsted was a long range shot by Gary East, which was comfortably pouched by keeper Dean Rose. Five minutes after the restart an inswinging left wing corner by Michael Cole sailed into the net with the help of the wind with Reeves and his defence unable to do anything about it. Striker Russell McLeish (out for most of the season with a severe calf injury) was introduced with half an hour to go and a changed formation to 4-3-3 at least gave a few problems to the Coney Hall defence and, following a strong run down the right by McLeish, set up Stuart Brockman, but his scuffed shot was turned over the bar by Rose who also made a fine save from a header by the same player. Finally, it was fitting that Doherty should have the final say when, in the 88th minute, he cut inside and unleashed a left foot shot which sealed an emphatic win for the visitors and left Bearsted with much still to do in their remaining fixtures to stay above the relegation zone.
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