Ben Rhydding 1 Beeston 5

Ben Rhydding go into their final game of the season at Brooklands Poynton on Saturday knowing that only a freak sequence of results can prevent them from retaining their National League status.

Victory would ensure their place in the Conference North irrespective of what Liverpool Sefton do at Wakefield and Bradford.

And even if Ben Rhydding lose, and Liverpool Sefton win, there would need to be a 17-goal swing in favour of the Merseyside club for them to send Ben Rhydding down.

Rhydding’s final home game last Sunday proved to be the tough test they expected against league leaders Beeston.

For the second week running Rhydding got off to a terrible start and conceded two goals in the first ten minutes.

Poor defending from the front line through to the defence made it easy for Beeston. Rhydding gave their Nottingham opponents far too much respect and looked like rabbits caught in the headlights.

It took until half way through the first period for the home side to start playing like they deserved to be in the same league.

As Rhydding's ball possession increased so did their confidence and they began to pass the ball around the back through Rebecca Fox and Rachelle Le Bourdon and into wide areas of midfield.

They managed a few flurries into the attacking D but were unable to capitalise on their opportunities. Beeston continued pass and move with pace and despite some feisty play in midfield from Eleanor Trafford and Jen Wilson the visitors managed another two well-taken goals before the half time break. Coach James Ross was not a happy man. Disappointed with the team’s performance he delivered a very hard but fair team talk. This seemed to be exactly what Rhydding needed to hear. They came out with a new-found determin- ation. It was like a Jekyll and Hyde performance.

The first half play was poor, Rhydding needed to improved and they did. Dominating long spells of possession in midfield they created some impressive attacking moves.

Forwards Abbie Brant and Kate Hesketh hunted and harried the ball and forced the Beeston defence to make number of errors as the home side grew in confidence.

Rhydding went close from a penalty corner but the Beeston keeper cleared the ball out of danger.

Rhydding's hard work eventually paid off with the well-worked goal involving Fran Holmes-Brown and forward Rachel Doherty.

The chance was deftly finished off by Jess Purvis who tipped the ball round the advancing keeper. More Rhydding chances went begging, but Beeston stepped up a gear.

Some stoic defending from the Rhydding back five and accom- plished goalkeeping by Jo Carpay kept the visitors at bay, until the very last touch of the game.

Confusion in the D led to Beeston scrambling the ball over the goal line to make it 5-1.