Deal Town vs Bearsted

Recap

The Hoops notched up their second win in four days at the Charles Ground on Tuesday night and, as against Canterbury at the weekend, the victory was highlighted by a goal to remember.

This time the provider was Charlie Walsh who, with 24 minutes gone and the scoreline still goalless, showed tremendous determination in winning possession 35 yards out before brushing off another challenge and then lashing home an unstoppable 25-yarder.

That goal came at a time when league new boys Bearsted, after being penned in their own half for most of the opening stages, were just starting to offer some attacking threat of their own and 10 minutes later the midfielder rubbed it with another clinical strike.

This time the provider was Joe Reeves whose pace down the right flank gave Bearsted lots of problems in the first half, and when he curled in a near post cross Joe Anderson’s initial volley was blocked but the ball fell nicely for ‘Walshy’ to sweep home.

The Hoops, however, then switched off at a free kick two minutes later, allowing the unmarked Rob Lyall to flick the ball on for Bradley Webb to score and when Andy Miller headed a great chance wide from another Reeves cross soon afterwards it looked as though Deal’s half-time lead was going to be a slender one.

But Dean Hill had other ideas. The skipper joined the attack for a 42^nd-minute Hoops corner and, when Bearsted keeper Scott Andrews failed to gather Steve O’Brien’s inswinging delivery, Hill was on hand to volley home.

Although the Bears are still looking for their first win since being promoted from the Kent Invicta League last season they had shown enough commitment in the first 45 minutes to suggest they wouldn’t “roll over” in the second half – and so it proved.

With the Hoops failing to offer as much threat down the flanks as in the first half, and wasting what openings they did create, Deal were gradually pushed back as the half wore on and Bearsted went close to bagging a second goal on three or four occasions, which would have meant a nervy last few minutes for Derek Hares’ side.

But the Bears were unable to reproduce the sort of memorable finish that Walsh had produced in the first half and which deserved to win the three points on its own.

Deal: Waymark, Paxman, O’Brien, Bagley, Bigginton, Reeves (Hark 72), Anderson (Alexander 83), Hill, Miller, Walsh, Coyne (Adams 69).