METRO 4-0 BEACHSIDE
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Metro outclassed Beachside to win this semi-final easily and qualify for next Friday’s Division One section Summer Cup final.
Beachside were in shock as they went in at the break 3-0 down, but to their credit, they rallied strongly in the second half and only some fine goalkeeping by Metro’s substitute Michael McKenna prevented them from getting back into the match.
Metro’s decision to import three Scottish players - striker Ricky Orr, midfielder Colin Sweeney and defender Grant Malcolm - was again vindicated in this match.
Orr scored once and made two other goals, including one for Sweeney. Orr had hit the winner last weekend in the 3-2 win over Nelson, which gave Metro this semi-final berth.
Nathan Brown, who rejoined Metro this season after having last year off, put Metro ahead in the 5th minute, nodding home Orr’s cross from the left.
Colin Wain had a rare chance for Beachside in the 8th minute, but he shot wide of the far post.
On the quarter-hour, Sweeney’s pass picked out Orr in the inside-left channel and he slotted the ball past Alex Bigg to make it 2-0.
Two minutes later, Brown was given time and space to pick his spot and it was 3-0 for Metro.
In the 18th minute, Colin Shepherd set up Wain with a chance, but he again shot wide of the target.
Six minutes after the resumption, Sweeney outjumped Shepherd and put Orr away on the left with a header.
Orr raced to the byline and cut the ball back for Sweeney to hammer home Metro’s fourth.
Beachside then rallied and Patrick Bigg shot wide, while McKenna did well to turn Nathan Robinson’s free-kick wide for a corner.
Beachside forced McKenna to a couple more saves, but they were never going to get back into this game.
The Metro win is significant for the coming league campaign. They are obviously going to be strong challengers for the title.
As for Beachside, it is back to the drawing board and a time for reassessment of the club’s playing resources.
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- Metro coach, Darrin Chaffey, said:
“It was a good win. It’s probably been three weeks coming for us to get it all together on the day.
“Quite frankly, we got it all together in the first half. We’ve been a bit sluggish starting, so it was good.
“I hope it’s some indication for the league.
“We’ve still got a couple more to come in, so we’ve just been playing the same squad because we don’t want to cup-tie people.
“But, yes, it’s good. We’ve got a bit of depth now and all the boys are happy and enjoying it again, so it’s good.”
- Beachside coach, Nathan Robinson, said:
“It was disappointing. The start was disappointing as they caught us cold.
“With all due respect to the teams we’ve played against previously, we haven’t played against the quality of their strike force.
“They well deserved their lead at half-time. I think in the second half we applied ourselves a lot better and we’ll be better for the experience when we play them on the opening day of the season.
“We’re really looking forward to that. But, they were well deserving of their victory today.”
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Metro (4-4-2): Land - Hawkins, Chaffey, Malcolm, Gasparin - Marney, Dawes, Sweeney, Cowen - Brown, Orr [Interchange: Rahni, McQueen, Farley, McKenna]
Booked: Chaffey, Gasparin, Sweeney
Goals: Brown 5, 17, Orr 15, Sweeney 36
Beachside (4-4-2): A Bigg - Davis, Howarth, Robinson, Atkin - Wain, Szoka, Klasen, P Bigg - De Jong, Shepherd [Interchange: Chadwick, Lowe]
Ref: D Gadd
Att: 80
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