Beckenham Town 3-0 Tunbridge Wells
SCEFL Premier Division
Tuesday 20th October
BECKENHAM TOWN 3-0 TUNBRIDGE WELLS
Aderonmu 35, 45, Townsend 88
Eden Park Avenue
Att 285
In their most impressive performance of the season to date, Becks made it three wins on the bounce with a comprehensive demolition of the league leaders. Two first-half strikes by leading scorer Tunde Aderonmu and a late third from substitute Steve Townsend were more than enough to secure all the points on a memorable Tuesday night under the lights at Eden Park Avenue.
A knee injury in the warm-up saw Danny Phillips drop out of the starting eleven to make way for Bertie Valler, but that late change didn’t seem to adversely affect the hosts who started brightly. Ryan Hall’s left-footed drive was deflected narrowly wide before Aderonmu’s shot from just inside the area was beaten away by Aaron Lee-Wharton in the Wells goal after a mistake by right-back Jack Hope. Tyrone Pink then forced another save – and all this inside the opening 10 minutes.
Without their main threat – left-winger Euan Sahadow – the visitors were over reliant on right-winger Regan Corke and all too often Miles Cornwell and Josh Froggatt looked isolated up front. It took 17 minutes for Wells to threaten and even then Robbie Bissett’s free-kick went harmlessly over the top of Michael McEntegart’s goal.
Hall, clearly enjoying a creative role in midfield was then involved twice in quick succession. First he sent Pink clear with a sublime first-time through ball – the shot being tipped around the post by Lee-Wharton. Hall then flashed a 30 yard effort just wide after picking up a clearance from a corner. Joe Nwoko then went very close from 12 yards after Hall and LB Archie Johnson had combined down the left to produce the cross. Aderonmu then dragged a shot just wide after linking up with Valler.
In the 35th minute, Becks took the lead when their sixth corner of the night was swung in by Johnson and Aderonmu rose through the crowd to head down and in from close-range at the back post.
Wells best chance of the evening came 6 minutes later but Cornwell drove his effort into the side netting. In the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, Becks doubled their lead. A poor clearance from Lee-Wharton was picked up by Pink who released Aderonmu down the left. With Hope retreating the big striker advanced before thumping an unstoppable shot from just inside the area that left the keeper floundering at his near post.
Beyond a couple of half-chances Wells offered little by way of response after the restart and instead it was the hosts who twice inside the final 15 minutes should have added a third. A slip from Bissett gifted the pacey Nwoko the chance to bear down on goal, but once in the area he delayed his shot, allowing Lee-Wharton time to make the save. Meanwhile quietly impressive skipper Harvey Brand burst through on the right after some nice interplay only to see his shot also saved.
When it came two minutes from the end, the third goal was well worked. Substitute Charlie Busby fed Pink who dinked a clever pass into space for Townsend through the middle. He took a touch before a cool clinical finish from 12 yards out completed the scoring.
Match Report by BTFC Media Team
Photo Credit: @SniperPose
