For this First Round Velocity Cup match at the Air Engineering Stadium, Broadbridge Heath manager Chris Simmons made five changes to his starting line-up which included Matt Hay and Sal Marino both starting after several weeks out through injury, Dylan Thiselton making his first start for the club, Tito Salaam back from his three match suspension and Under 23 goalkeeper Stan Williamson between the posts.

With both sides sitting in fourth place in their respective divisions, supporters were expecting a close encounter and that’s exactly what they got with Heath flying out the blocks and having the first shot on target 2 minutes into the start when the ball was played into the Vale’s penalty area and cleared as far as Brad Peters some 35 yards from goal and the Heath defender hammered a first-time right foot shot that stung the hands of the Vale goal-keeper Fabian Witter standing on his goal-line.

Minutes later Zac Young found himself in a similar position and fired off a left foot shot that flew over the Vale crossbar without troubling Witter. But it was the visitors who took the lead on 6 minutes with their first shot on target when a free kick was awarded just inside their own half and wide on the right, Witter came a long way from his goal to pump the ball forward to Kyen Nicholas with his back to goal who held the ball up well before feeding it wide to the left to David Omilabu who hammered a low left foot shot back across the goal-face and in at the far post.

Despite being a goal down it was the Bears who continued to create some great openings and 3 minutes later a long diagonal pass from Charlie Connell split the Vale defence and sent Young away down the right flank, the Heath striker cut inside the penalty area and struck a fierce left foot shot that was brilliantly saved by Witter diving across to his left and getting a strong hand on the ball to deflect it wide of the post.

Next up with a shot on target was Heath fullback Dylan Thiselton picking up a loose ball some 25 yards from goal and smashing a right foot shot straight at Witter who collected at the second attempt but it was the Vale who doubled their lead on 30 minutes with only their second attempt on goal when a misplaced pass in the Heath defence allowed Nicholas to intercept the pass and run through on goal before finishing with aplomb.

Again Heath came back with Matt Hay playing a through ball to Mason Doughty who ran towards the Vale goal, attempted to take the ball around Witter who forced him wide and his right foot shot was blocked on the goal-line by a defender and cleared to safety and it remained 0-2 at the break.

Heath needed to reduce the deficit early in the second half to stand any chance of winning the game and that’s exactly what they did within 2 minutes of the restart when Charlie Connell received the ball wide on the left and played a pass into the penalty area to Zac Young who stuck out a right foot to steer the ball past Witter and give the Bears a life-line.

The Vale had a great chance to restore the two goal cushion on 59 minutes when Witter played a through-ball between defenders to allow Nathaniel Boakye to run through on goal but with Williamson sprinting off his line to close the angle, the striker played a right foot lob over the Heath keeper but over the Heath crossbar too.

The visitor’s were made to pay for that miss when Heath drew level a minute later following a flowing move of fifteen passes from the goal-kick and ending with Sam Hards low cross from the left being bundled into the back of the net from close range by Josh Solecki his first goal for the club.

Both sides had chances to grab the winner, Matt Hay firing a right foot shot into the side netting and Solecki going close with a right foot shot just wide of the post. While at the other end Omarr Lawson turned sharply to hit a left foot shot that was deflected off Solecki and out for a corner but it remained 2-2 at the final whistle and in to penalties.

First up for Heath was Zac Young who fired the Bears into the lead. First up for the Vale was Omarr Lawson who struck a right foot shot that was heading into the bottom left corner before being deflected past the post by the outstretched hand of Stan Williamson diving low to his right to make an outstanding save; with all other penalty takers converting their penalty kicks it meant Heath go through to the second round by winning their shootout by 5-3.

Team: Williamson, Thiselton , Solecki, Marino (Church 78), Peters, Salaam (Hyde 80), Hards, Connell, Doughty, Hay (Lewis 84), Young.