Having already secured the Southern Combination League U23 North Division title could Chris Ellis’s young side complete the double by winning the League Cup Final as well?

Up against them in the final was a strong Peacehaven & Telscombe U23 side who had already beaten “The Bears” once this season when they won a penalty shoot-out by 8/7 in the Sussex U23 County Cup after the score was level at 3-3 on 90 minutes.

Heath started well and were the first side to have a shot at goal when on 12 minutes Nathan Kennedy-Tamplin cut inside from the right flank and struck a left foot shot from 18 yards which went narrowly wide of the post.

Sean Terry, in for the injured Luke York, was next to try his luck for Heath when he advanced into the penalty area but his close range shot was blocked by a defender and deflected wide for a corner.

Minutes later some good link-up play between Harry Kent and Kennedy-Tamplin saw the latter strike a low right foot shot across the face of goal that came off the foot of the post and out to safety and it remained 0-0 at the break.

The game swung in Peacehaven’s favour 9 minutes into the restart when Kyle Woolven played a long ball down the centre of the park allowing Lennie Deacon to chase down with Heath’s Adam Duneclift in hot pursuit, a coming together of the players some 25 yards from goal saw the Match Referee immediately produce a red card from his shirt pocket which meant an early shower for Duneclift for denying a goal-scoring opportunity and Heath were down to ten.

With the man advantage Peacehaven went on to have their best spell of the match but without troubling the Heath goalkeeper Stan Williamson until the 69th minute when Woolven again received the ball in his own half and played a defence splitting diagonal pass to Deacon who advanced towards goal before striking a left foot shot from 18 yards past the oncoming Williamson to give his side the lead.

Despite being down to ten players and a goal down it was “The Bears” who responded well and were unlucky not to draw level on 78 minutes when Under 18 striker Sam Abrehert’s right wing cross came off the crossbar and out for a corner.

Minutes later it was all square when Peacehaven’s Jordan Pittam brought down Keanin Louw in the penalty area, an easy decision for the Match Referee who immediately pointed to the penalty spot which was dispatched by Adam Al Meskin with a low left foot shot under the diving goalkeeper for his fifth and most important goal of the season.

Just as the game entered time added-on Heath took the lead when Jack Hayes played the ball to the feet of Harry Kent on the edge of the Peacehaven penalty area and the Heath skipper turned sharply and hit a right foot shot that deflected off Pittam into the net giving his goalkeeper no chance of saving.

A nervous 11 minutes of extra time followed for the Heath supporters in attendance but the team stood firm to win the game and complete a remarkable double.

Team: Williamson, Duneclift, Al Meskin, Wraight, Cumming, Pickering, Terry, Bedir, Louw, Kent, Kennedy-Tamplin. Subs. Abrehert, Davies, Hayes.