Broadbridge Heath U23 4-1 Hassocks U23

Something had to give when the top two unbeaten sides with a 100% winning record came face to face in the SCFL U23 Division and it was the Bears who took an early season advantage over the reigning division champions.

Neither side created many chances in the opening minutes, some good approach work but that final ball was missing, that all changed midway through the half when Symon Kowalczyk received the ball in the opponents penalty area, he turned his defender one way then the other and finished the move with a left foot shot into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

The game swung in Heath’s favour 4mins later when Julian Durand was shown a straight red card for something he said to the Match Referee, making the task for his team mates even harder, a goal deficit and down to ten.

That task became even more difficult 10mins before the break when a ball down the left flank was chased down by Sam Lemon who played it first time across the face of goal to Wiktor Maznica who took a touch before hitting a right foot shot past the keeper; 2-0 at the break.

The Bears all but wrapped up the game within 3mins of the restart when defender James Archard advanced down the right flank, played a one-two with Kowalczyk on the edge of the box and went on to dribble around two Hassocks defenders before poking the ball past the keeper at the near post.

Maznica scored his second and Heath’s 4th on 65mins when he received the ball just outside the Hassocks penalty area, he bamboozled the centre-back with fancy footwork before striking a fierce right foot shot past the Hassocks keeper.

The visitors did have one consolation, deep into injury time Cavid Chedzey scored a “Goal of the Season” contender with a right foot effort from the touch-line, a distance of some 40 yards that flew over the Heath keeper and dropped into the far corner of the net.

So the Bears are the early division leaders with three wins from three games but there’s a long way to go and a lot of football to play yet. No game on the 7th September but the Bears will be back in action on Thursday 14th when we welcome St Francis Rangers to the BodyMould Community Stadium.

Team: Watson-Price, Archard, Gorringe, Wrate, Mark, Almeskin, Lemon, Maznica, Kent, Kowalczyk. Subs Edwards, Richards, Almeskin, Goncalves, Barlow.