Beechfield United Football Club

POSTED: April 29 2017 21:14:59 By Keith Long - United Narrowly Beaten By League Leaders

Beechfield United and Heyside FC the two in-form and top goal scoring teams met at Salford Sports Village on Saturday 22nd April and this Manchester Football League Division 1 fixture won 3-2 by Heyside was certainly an entertaining game. Heyside started the match well with a strong attacking formation and after keeping the pressure on Beechy eventually took the lead about the fifteenth minute mark with a free header following a corner. The visitors continued to dominate the game but after thirty minutes and against the run of play United equalised when Craig Massey was judged onside as he ran onto a great pass from Mike Phythian and lobbed the ball over the keeper. But five minutes later Beechy found themselves trailing again when the Heyside left winger who had caused United problems in the first half scored a well worked goal from the edge of the area.

Five minutes later the same player ran down the line unchallenged and delivered an accurate cross for a team mate to plant a free header into the net for the visitors third goal. 3-1 down at half time Beechy made some tactical changes with Alfie Belcher and Rob Lockley replacing Andrzej Browne and Louis Duff and United began to dominate the game. On seventy minutes Jamie Sinnott the league's top goal scorer notched his 30th league goal of an impressive season. After he received the ball out wide Jamie easily beat his marker then hammered a shot from a ridiculous angle that hit the underside of the crossbar and the ball was adjudged to be over the line for United's second goal. Beechy now in the ascendancy continued to push for an equaliser and reduced the current league leaders to the odd counter attack.

With five minutes to go Heyside were reduced to ten players when Alfie Belcher was too quick and skilful for a defender who lunged in with studs showing and received a straight red card. In the last minute a Heyside striker broke clear and saw his effort hit the crossbar, Beechy regained possession and went down the other end where Alfie Belcher went on a mazy run past two defenders before hitting the crossbar himself with a great left footed curler from 25 yards out. United who thoroughly deserved at least a draw remain in sixth place in the table. Team: Robert Harrison, Andrzej Browne, Gary Wallis, Mike Rogerson, Carl Ravenscroft, Chris Ferris, Mike Phythian, Louis Duff, Craig Massey, Kurtis Lee, Jamie Sinnott. Substitutes: Alfie Belcher, Rob Lockley.