As a rather good author of Victorian times once wrote, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times”. I don’t think Dickens ever visited the Beveree, but in the space of 7 months, he would have found his words accurate. A neutral fan, unaware of the past and told that one had just been promoted to the Blue Square South and one had recently been in a playoff final, would have struggled to believe the facts, such was the difference in performance today. Staines were quicker to break, had purpose about their movement and clearly felt confident, the Beavers didn’t have any of these and the result is possibly overstating the difference between the team by a goal. If Dev and the team weren’t thinking of a relegation fight, they will have to now.

The Beavers had an excellent opportunity as early as the fourth minute when OJ put a strong header wide of the Staines goal after a quality Dave Tarpey free kick from the Hampton right. Soon after this, Tarpey mishit a shot after good work from Michael Lee Charles down the right. However, the Swans then started to assert themselves and started to put pressure on the Beavers defense, which didn’t bode well.

On 19 minutes, Barrie Matthews and Staines’ Butler had a bit of scuffle in the corner, in which challenges by either player could have been booked, but the referee chose to let play go on, Butler then fed Chaaban on the edge of the area, he found Thomas unmarked and the youngster buried the ball past Matt Lovett.

Staines continued to have slightly more of the game and although the Beavers had a good shout for a handball in the penalty area turned down on 26 minutes, a goal from 12 yards appeared at this stage to be the only way the Beavers were going to score.

Hampton struggled to make their presence felt as Staines continued to dominate, but on 40 minutes, the Beavers had a free kick after Barrie Matthews had been fouled some 25 yards from goal. However, Tarpey’s free kick just needed a touch to put it on target, which didn’t materialise.

The game was killed stone dead deep in stoppage time, as OJ was pressured by the outstanding Chaaban, losing the ball. Chaaban took the ball forward, rounded Lovett, and buried the ball in the back of the net, despite OJ’s presence back on the goal line.

The second half opened with Dev deciding to withdraw Michael-Lee Charles, who had tried hard but with no success, with Lawrence Yaku. It made little immediate effect as Staines pushed forward from the kick off. Chaaban had another one-on-one with Lovett, which Matt came out the winner, but from the returning cross, he went down with an injury to his leg. After some 3-4 minutes of treatment, Matt was declared fit to carry on, but he looked very shaky. He was tested immediately as Staines’ Butler got on the end of a Chaaban cross, forcing him to make a save low down to his left.

After a period of stalemate, Craig Dundas – who was working hard as usual, but with no success – managed to get a cross in from the left, but the Staines keeper had it covered. On 58 minutes, Dave Tarpey had a speculative shot that drifted wide right, and it clearly appeared that there was going to be little joy for the Beavers the longer the game went on.

Staines continued to apply pressure to the Beavers defence and had chances to extend the lead, Thomas scuffing an opening thankfully wide of Matt’s post, after being left wide open on the right after a late run. On 69 minutes, the roof fell in for the Beavers, as Jon Scarborough was penalized for a scruffy tackle just 5 yards outside the box. Ali Chaaban was clearly fancying his chances of a second goal and he made no mistake, firing the ball past Lovett’s left hand as the wall broke up.

The Beavers had barely recovered from this when a horrible back pass left Matt Lovett stranded, and Chaaban completed his hat trick with a deft finish. In this kind of display, Staines will find it hard to hold onto Chaaban, as his predatory instinct and pace gave Scarborough and OJ problems all day, and will clearly give problems to better defenders than these.

The Beavers tried to come back into the game, replacing Scarbs with Dean Inman, but it was Yaks who finally managed to create a chance, as he rounded the keeper after a neat pass into the box. However, he managed to make the most horrible air-shot you will ever see and the chance had gone.

Staines hadn’t shut up shop and were still pressing for another goal, Leroy Griffiths fetching a save from Matt on 81 minutes after a cross from the right and it was odds on there being another goal to chalk up for the Swans. Hopes were raised as Craig Dundas managed to force his way past three defenders, but his final touch was too heavy. It was one of those days.

Yaks did force a save out of keeper Wells deep into stoppage time, the keeper having to go down to his left but in the end it was too little too late for the Beavers.