Welcome back to the very consistent North Beach Amateurs Match Report, and boy, do we have a game to tell you about this week.
North Beach took the trip inland to face an eighth-placed Forrestfield United team, only three points behind in the league.
Going into the game, a win for the Beach would take them second in the league if results elsewhere went their way.
The game was a must-win, but Forrestfield looked like they wanted it more at the start, scoring within the first four minutes of the half.
Beach had quite a few early chances, but none on target and barely troubling the Forrestfield keeper.
Kaimon Parker equalised around the 20-minute mark after running from midfield into the box and connecting with a low cross from the right.
The lead did not last long; three minutes later, Forrestfield were gifted a goal to make it 2-1 after a weak cross-goal pass was intercepted.
Fifteen minutes later, another defensive slip allowed Forrestfield to put themselves two goals ahead with five minutes to go, but Chris Judge clawed one back three minutes later to make it 3-2.
A peculiar incident towards the end of the half saw Forrestfield lose a man due to a double yellow card for what we believe to be dissent towards the referee.
Beach had yet another comeback to pull off in the second half, but with an extra man for 45-minutes, it should not be a hard task.
Within 10 minutes, Forrestfield showed no signs of backing down scoring to make it 4-2 and then made it 5-2 a further 10 minutes later.
Beach’s first two subs saw Logan Cross replace Harry Richings, and then later, Clayton Arnez came on for his debut, replacing Kitson Catalfamo.
Five-two down with 30-minutes left to play; Beach had to get themselves back into the game.
After receiving a driven cross from Ross Westwood, Benny Reynolds struck the ball across the keeper, bringing the deficit back to two goals.
Alec Etheridge came on for the last 20-or-so minutes, replacing Kaimon Parker with a slight knee problem.
Ten minutes after Reynolds scored, Ross Westwood managed to chip the keeper from outside the box and brought Beach right back into the game with 15 minutes to go.
The last 15 were very eventful, and Beach began to pepper the Forrestfield goal in search of an equaliser.
Arnez and Reynolds troubled the Forrestfield defence with their quick feet, and Jake Dean and Ross Westwood kept putting dangerous balls into the box.
The defence would soon fault, and with under 10-minutes to go, Luke Wearing pounced on the goalkeeper’s parry in the box and smashed the ball into the net.
Beach were on the front foot and wanted to find the winner; what ensued was truly spectacular.
The ball would just not go in the net, ricocheting in the box, Forrestfield’s keeper pulling off a flurry of saves, Beach just could not find the winner.
Step up, Clayton Arnez. Last-minute call-up, first-team debut, first goal wins the match. Scenes.
Four goals in under 30-minutes sealed the result for Beach, continuing their league form being unbeaten in the last five.
It wasn’t the prettiest game of football, but Beach showed their grit and never-give-up attitude turning the game around in the final minutes of the game.
Analysis
Beach did not make it easy for themselves, being down by three goals at one point in the game. It wasn’t a typical Beach performance either.
“Great win after being 5-2 down in a tricky performance where even your big players are making uncharacteristic mistakes,” Coach Stephen Critchley says.
“Great fight from the lads, we don’t seem to know when we are beaten at the minute.”
With the win, and Emerald losing to Stirling, Beach are now second in the league two points behind Peel who also lost to South Perth.
Critchley says the goal is to now stay in the top two and continue the current unbeaten run.
Team news
Line-up: Hughes, Dean, Wearing, Felstead, R. Westwood, Kelliher, Judge, K. Parker, Catalfamo, Reynolds, Richings
Subs: Cross, Arnez, Etheridge, C. Parker
A few changes from last weeks team. Ross Lundie returned to the Reserves eleven, so Jake Dean dropped into the right of the back three. The change meant Ross Westwood returned to the wing and Harry Richings started up front.
Luke Aitken was unavailable through sickness, so Clayton Arnez was called up at the last minute making it his first call up. A winning goal from the bench, not too bad of a debut.
Captaining the team, Chris Judge earned the Bar1 Player of the Match award after being the engine that pushed Beach to victory.
Around the grounds
Men’s
FUFC 2-6 NB Reserves (FW says 2-5, but it was 6)
NB 3’s 9-0 Whitfords City (Metro Nth Div 3)
Hammersly 5-2 NB 4’s (Metro Nth Div 5)
NB Masters – Wembley Downs (Nth Div 2)
Bayswater City 3-0 NB O45’s (North A)
Perth SC 1-5 NB O45’s (North C)
Women’s
Bassendean 1-1 NB 1’s(Metro Nth Div 1)
NB 2’s 1-2 Curtin Uni (Metro Nth Div 3)