Broadbridge Heath got their season off to a winning start on Saturday in the Emirates FA Cup with a 2-1 home win over Combined Counties Premier division side Horley Town.

The visitors had the first goal scoring opportunity in the 5th minute when a long ball down the right flank was chased down by Josh Rapson, the Horley No. 7 advanced into the penalty area and played the ball across the face of goal to Liam Trevatt, his effort was blocked at the post by Tad Bromage with keeper Billy Collings pouncing on the loose ball.

At the other end a Jamie Chesworth free-kick was played into Ben Aubrey with his back to goal and 12 yards out, the Heath striker turned his defender but was denied a clear strike of the ball by a Jake Roberts lunging tackle to win the ball and deny what would certainly have been the opening goal.

The Bears should have taken the lead on 12 minutes. Doughty picked up the ball in the centre of the park and ran towards the Horley goal before playing the ball out wide to Evans, his first time cross into the box was met by a powerful header from Aubrey, in the centre of the goal, 5 yards out and with the goal at his mercy but somehow the ball flew wide of the post much to the relief of the travelling Horley fans.

On 13 minutes a Horley free-kick, wide on the left, was played into the Heath penalty area towards Cameron Gyeabour who managed to get a toe of his outstretched leg to divert the ball inches wide of the post and out for a goal-kick.

With quarter of an hour gone, Doughty received the ball inside the penalty area wide on the right and played it into the path of Evans some 12 yards from goal; the Heath midfielder struck a low right foot shot that the Horley keeper George Hyde did well to block on the goal-line, the ball came back out to Doughty who drilled it in low to Ben Aubrey but his back heel saw Hyde make another important save on the goal line.

The game continued to flow from end to end but it remained 0-0 at the break.

Minutes into the restart and the Bears were in front, a move down the left found Cranmer-Flynn in space and he played a low cross into the penalty area to Aubrey who made no mistake this time, converting from close range. The perfect start to the second half or maybe not, because within minutes the visitor’s were back level when they were awarded a penalty for a foul in the box and Lewis Pearch stepped up to convert from the spot kick.

Heath started to get the upper-hand following several changes in personnel with the oncoming Dowdell, Parmiter and Leslie all full of running and searching for goals and it didn’t take long for their presence to have an impact when Doughty played a ball between the two Horley centre-backs allowing Dowdell to outpace the tiring defenders and slot past the advancing Hyde.

Heath could have added further goals in the closing stages, Doughty and Leslie were in a great position to add a third but a misunderstanding between the two so the chance go away, Matt Hay saw his dipping shot from distance drop just over the crossbar but it remained 2-1 at the final whistle with Heath advancing into the next round to be played away on the 17th August at local rivals Horsham YMCA.

Team: Collings, Sim, Chesworth, Penfold, Bromage, Marino, Cranmer-Flynn (Dowdell 61), Buchanan (Parmiter 67), Aubrey (Leslie 67), Evans (Hay 84), Doughty (Dyson 86).