For the neutral supporters this was probably the match of the day in the SCFL Premier Division when the two inform teams met at High Wood Hill Sports Ground. Broadbridge Heath unbeaten in the league since the 13th August and Peacehaven & Telscombe coming into the game on a run of 10 games unbeaten including an impressive County Cup win against Isthmian League side Chichester City.

For the match Heath manager Chris Simmons made one change to the lineup with Sean Terry coming into the team at centre-half for the unavailable Kyle Sim, while leading scorer Lewis Croal was still missing through injury.

The visitors had the first attempt at goal when Max Hollobone found space down the right to hit a low right foot shot that fizzed across the face of goal and wide of the Liam Matthews left post.

At the other end the Bears created several chances but without troubling the keeper, on nineteen minutes a right wing cross was headed over the bar by Alex Barbary, minutes later Sam Lemon played a ball into the box to Barbary who tried an audacious back-heel but that too went wide of the post for a goal kick.

The visitors took the lead on 33 minutes, a Heath move broke down on the edge of the visitors penalty area and the ball was cleared down the left flank to a Peacehaven player who on the counter attack skipped past one challenge 25 yards from goal, got into the box, had two goals attempts blocked before a Heath player’s attempted clearance went straight to Callum Edwards on the edge of the penalty area, he turned one way then the other before hitting a low left foot shot into the bottom right corner giving Matthews no chance of stopping.

Heath responded well with Matt Penfold trying his luck with a shot from distance that went just wide of the post and on 42 minutes a free kick played deep into the Peacehaven penalty area was headed on by Terry, came off a defender and was cleared off the line with Heath players turning away claiming it had crossed the line but the Assistant Referee perfectly placed to rule it out.

Deep into time added on and Matthews made a superb save to deny the visitors from taking a 2-0 half-time lead as the teams went in for the break.

Heath started the second half brightly enough with Lemon shooting wide of the left post, Frankland playing the ball into Barbary from the right but the Heath striker blasted his shot over the crossbar and then Frankland wriggling his way into the penalty area but pulling his shot wide of the post.

On 73 minutes Heath were made to pay for those missed chances when a Peacehaven attack down the left saw the ball played into Hollobone on the edge of the D and the striker placed a low shot wide of Matthews into the bottom left corner.

Heath reduced the deficit with 7 minutes remaining when the ball was played into Harry Mark who struck a shot from 20 yards that wrong footed the goalkeeper and the Bears were back in it at 2-1. Heath threw everything forward in search of the equaliser but the Peacehaven defence stood firm and held on for victory.

So Heath’s best ever run of unbeaten matches in the top division comes to an end but we go again on Saturday when we travel to Steyning Town, Kick Off at 3.00.

Team; Matthews, Frankland, Chesworth, Weller (Mark 80), Terry, Brackpool, Penfold, Evans, Barbary (Cooksley 84), Parmiter, Lemon (Carvalho 65).