Broadbridge Heath U23 2-4 Horsham YMCA U23

Heath’s unbeaten record in the Southern Combination Under 23 North division came to an end in their last home match of the season when a strong Horsham YMCA team arrived at the BodyMould Stadium on Monday 29th April.

Heath took the lead on 30 minutes when Stan Berry won the ball off YM goalkeeper Mark Fox who’d strayed outside the penalty area allowing the Bears striker to simply walk the ball into the back of the net.

YM hit back almost immediately when a corner from the right was headed in by an unmarked Diego Carmo and things got even better for the visitors 3 minutes later when a deep cross from the right looked to have gone too far wide but somehow the YM player hooked the ball from a near impossible angle into the goal.

Two soon became three as the Bears defence looked a little bedraggled and the visitor’s made the most scoring a 3rd on 38 minutes when a free kick was floated in towards the back post and headed home from close range.

The second half saw the Bears change tactics to a 3:4:3 formation with the idea to get the ball forward quicker to the strikers and that certainly worked well with the hosts creating some really good chances but finding the veteran keeper Fox in fine form making several saves to deny the Bears.

The deficit was finally reduced on 81 minutes with the goal of the game when Rodrigo Goncalves received the ball 30 yards from goal and hammered a right foot shot that crashed against the inside of the post into the back of the net to make it 2-3.

Still plenty of time for an equaliser but against the run of play, a YM breakaway saw the ball played down the left, the YM player cut inside before striking a right foot shot in at the near-post to complete the scoring for the night.

So Heath’s long unbeaten run in the league came to an end but with Heath’s closest rivals for the title Hassocks also losing at home, it means the Bears need one point at Oakwood on Wednesday night to confirm the league title, anything less and the title could well be going to the Beacon, home of Hassocks FC.

Team: Watson-Price, Mark, Duneclift, Wraight, Pickering, Schulz, Berry, Barlow, Maznica, Kent, Moteane. Subs: Gorringe, Goncalves, A.Al Meskin.