Beckenham 24 v 35 Sutton

Rugby Union London 2 South League

IT WAS a frustrating day for Beckenham fans as their heroes lost to Sutton and Epsom after a lacklustre first-half performance.

Thirteen points adrift at the break, Beckenham improved after the break but the damage had been done.

There was more frustration knowing the result saw Sutton leapfrog Beckenham in the table and leaves the hosts in the bottom half for the first time since the season's opening matches.

Beckenham coach Conrad Bool said: "When we decide to play rugby we can match any side but unfortunately for 40 minutes we made no attempt to play and might as well have been at home watching Grandstand."

Within 10 minutes Beckenham were 6-0 down. Sam Howard the Sutton stand-off was presented with easy opportunities to score from trivial penalty offences in Beckenham's half.

Sutton then went 13-0 ahead when, from a missed touch kick, Sutton moved the ball quickly to allow their creative backs to score close to the posts.

The kick was a formality for Howard.

Beckenham were next to score when Sutton were caught offside after the ball was moved quickly through a series of phases.

Pat Wright made his kick look effortless to move the score to 3-13.

This only served to spur Sutton back to life.

This time their forwards made good ground and when the backs were released, the ball made its way to full-back Keith Middleton to score another converted try.

At last, late in the first half, Beckenham came to life and they mounted a series of attacks on the Sutton line.

The pressure caused Sutton to repeatedly infringe with the referee eventually awarding a penalty try converted by Wright to take the score to 10-20.

Beckenham were back in the game but on the stroke of half time a silly obstruction on Middleton as the fly-half hacked a poor clearance into the Beckenham 22 resulted in yet another easy three points for Howard.

The score at half time was 10-23.

In the break it was obvious the coaches of both sides were working with their players.

The Sutton coach probably asking for more of the same and the Beckenham coaches asking the team to play as if they wanted to win.

Beckenham opened brightly but Sutton managed to get the ball into the Beckenham half and from nowhere scored the early try which probably killed any hopes Beckenham had of coming back.

This score was unconverted as Howard missed for the first and only time in the day.

Following this score Beckenham managed a period of 15 minutes when they controlled the game and made attack after attack.

Eventually from a 5m line-out the Beckenham forwards created a good platform which allowed openside Paul Roumph to go over for a try, converted by Wright.

With the score on 17-28 Beckenham raised their game again.

Another period of pressure was followed by a try from Wright who showed his pace and eye for a gap to go in close to the posts.

He converted his own try to move the score to 24-28 and the Beckenham crowd began to think another great escape was on the cards.

However, their hopes were shattered moments later when the Sutton forwards rumbled down the pitch to create a try under the posts which Howard easily converted to take the score to 24-35 where it stayed until the final whistle.

Beckenham travel to second placed Guildford, kick-off 3pm.