Lancers lose late against the leaders
Lancing 0-1 Beckenham Town
At the end of a week in which Lancers made the national press, yet another late goal brought us back to earth with a bump. It was an achingly familiar story as Lancing looked to have done enough for a point against the division’s early pacesetters. That was until we surrendered from a set piece – this time through Akheem Belford’s flicked header in the 85th minute.
It was all a far cry from the sunny, tropical climes of the Caribbean where the exploits of two of our own went global and unexpectedly catapulted our little village club into the national spotlight.
From Bermuda to Bromley-based Beckenham: not exactly your typical footballer’s international break, but our jet setting duo returned to regularity – and the starting XI – in our first game for eleven days. England six-a-siders Sam Bull and Charlie Gibson were on the bench and there was a debut for new signing Myles Bright.
Beckenham arrived at Culver Road as the early league leaders, with nine wins from their 13 games having only survived the drop on a technicality last term.
Jamarie Brissett used his pace to earn an early sight of the Lancing goal with the tie seven minutes old; but we were able to get numbers back and saw the ball deflect behind for a corner.
Lancers replied in kind with some openings of their own. The again impressive Noel Fisher, enjoying a fine season in the iconic Yellow and Blue, had a shot saved and went close soon after from distance.
Louie Theophanous was then into the action in both boxes. He was denied by the safe hands of Secka, and then through the last ditch lunge of Shay Leahy. When the Lancers surged forwards soon afterwards, his clearance helped to thwart the threat of Ta’shae Andall – Gibbons and parity was preserved.
Alieu was called into action again five minutes shy of the interval. The Brissett/Theophanous collaboration was once more at the heart of the visitors endeavour, as the former found the latter, but Secka did really well to get behind the shot and push it away.
For all Beckenham’s patient and persistent probing, though, Lancing had kept themselves in touch and, in fact, had the best moment of the half.
Thomas Dickson – Peters slid the ball through to Robbo who had timed his run well and was in the clear. To perhaps epitomize Lancers’ lack of luck, the ball bounced up to spin away from Luke and he was unable to make a clean connection.
Half time: Lancing 0-0 Beckenham Town
Good hands from Burford kept Bright at bay and Belford then cleared well after neat approach play down the left. A flurry of corners came to nothing, but Lancing’s energy and industry against the league leaders belied our lowly league position.
Only Burford came between Lancing and a surprise lead as Matthews’ inswinger found Ta’shae but the Beckenham keeper, not to be outshone by his opposite number, reacted well to the danger.
Secka continued to earn his corn as he tipped wide from Theophanous before the same player struck the outside of the upright from a Freddie Nyhus cross.
Callum had a strike deflected wide and fellow sub Lewis Lembikisa then followed suit as Lancing sensed a famous upset was in the offing.
But the script failed to produce a plot twist and, indeed, the ending was a film the Lancing faithful have seen many a time before.
There was perhaps an ingrained sense of inevitability when a Nyhus free-kick found the bonce of Belford to steer home a header in the 85th minute.
It was the third league game in a row in which Lancing had conceded in the final ten minutes of the match. We have deserved to take something from all three but you don’t always get what you deserve in football.
Yet still Lancers could, perhaps, should have saved the game. At the culmination of one final desperate foray forward, Bright went tumbling to the turf. The contact looked to have been made inside the box, but referee Liam White instead gave a free-kick. It could not have been closer with the set piece awarded on the very edge of the box, a matter of inches away from the area.
Culver Road held its collective breath and tried to blow the ball into the net, but in keeping with our set-pieces throughout the afternoon, the final delivery was into the wall and wasted.
And so another game went the same way as so many this season. A positive performance against one of the promotion favourites, a performance that ultimately deserved more. But one in which we came away empty handed. There comes a point where results have results have to follow, or else risk being cut adrift.
We go again at Ashford on Tuesday in a tie which already looks pivotal.
Lancing starting XI: Alieu Secka; Shay Matthews, Harry Docherty, Shay Leahy, Noel Fisher; Knory Scott, Leon Moore, Myles Bright, Ta’shae Andall – Gibbons, Luke Robinson; Thomas Dickson – Peters. Substitutes: Callum Erskine (for Scott 55), Lewis Lembikisa (for Robinson 64), Leon Fisher (for Leahy 76), Sam Bull, Charlie Gibson Att: 277
The Lancers were also visited by The Times on Saturday and a piece appeared in their ‘The Game’ section 
