BECCLES Town took the Touchline Sports Suffolk Senior Cup back to the north of the county last night after narrowly beating Crane Sport 1-0 in the final at Portman Road.

Elvin King

BECCLES Town took the Touchline Sports Suffolk Senior Cup back to the north of the county last night after narrowly beating Crane Sport 1-0 in the final at Portman Road.

A 44th-minute goal from Ipswich-born Alan Remblance separated the teams on a night when his keeper Daniel Cable made two outstanding saves.

Crane struck the bar twice in the first half, but faded after the interval and were held at arm's length until stoppage time when Cable somehow pushed over a header from Sean Benneworth.

Remblance had a spot kick well saved and Beccles were organised at the back and benefitted from some lively play by Neil Hurren in midfield.

Crane missed cup-tied ace marksman Julian Beaumont up front, and if they had notched an early goal the result could have been different.

Crane went close to a goal in the fourth minute when Benneworth met a corner to send a seven-yard header flush against the bar, and in the 20th minute Cable made a wonder save to deny Chris Lay.

The right-foot shot was placed to perfection, but somehow Cable stretched and twisted to turn a ball bound for the top corner around the far post.

In the 39th minute Ipswich-based Crane again went within a whisker of taking the lead. This time it was Olly Langham who got his head to a corner - this time from only two yards with the ball hitting the underside of the bar.

Beccles, from the Anglian Combination, were well served by their efficient skipper Sam Barham at the back while Andy Woods on the left flank is the son of a player who trod a similar path at Portman Road for many years.

The watching Clive was a member of the 1978 Ipswich Town FA Cup-winning team, and it was from a free-kick taken near the left touchline that led to Beccles scoring what proved to be the only goal of the game a minute before the interval.

Hurren floated in a right-foot kick, and Remblance got ahead of his marker to back-head the ball high inside the near post.

Beccles, who had Anthony Martin, the brother of Norwich City's on-loan player Chris, on the bench, were playing in their first Senior Cup final since 1924 while Crane Sports made six final appearances between 1970/71 an 1983/84 -winning four times.

Three minutes after the re-start, Benneworth stuck out a long leg to bring down Hurren in full flight. Remblance took the penalty with Derren Burn diving to his left to fist the ball away and then leap up to catch the rebound.

In the 77th minute Remblance was judged by an assistant referee to have fouled Brown when they both jumped for a high ball and it went off the head of the striker and rolled into the net.

Burn then saved well from Kevin Waterman before Crane - after huffing and puffing for most of the second period - manufactured their late chance that Cable flicked over the bar.

Teams

Beccles Town: Cable, McMorran, Greengrass, Wilson, Barham, Shaw, Day, Hurren, Remblance, Waterman (sub Peters 87 mins), Woods (Holmes 61). Substitutes: Knights, Martin, Myhill.

Crane Sports: Burn, Latham, Middlemiss, Bridger, Benneworth, Buck, Reeder (Vince 77), O'Brien, Langham (Clennell 68), Josiah (Baker 77), Lay. Substitutes: Chaplin, Ewers.

Referee: Mr J Smith

Attendance: 1,103.