Three Bridges 4-2 Broadbridge Heath

The Bears travelled the short distance to Jubilee Road home of Three Bridges FC for the first meeting of the teams for 6 years since Bridges won promotion from the SCFL as Premier Division champions and the hosts have also made a great start to the Pitching In South East division this season currently unbeaten and heading the division.

Heath made a bright start to the match and deservedly took the lead on 11 minutes when Mario Quiassaca won the ball in midfield and played an inch perfect pass splitting the Bridges defence to allow Louis Evans to run through and hit a low right foot shot from the edge of the box under the advancing keeper Jasper Sheik.

On 18 minutes the Bears had a great chance to double their lead when Quiassaca played the ball into the path of Sam Lemon who advanced into the penalty but was denied by a fine save from Sheik, the former Heath keeper making his Three Bridges debut.

Heath were punished for that missed chance minutes later when a long ball down the left was crossed into the Heath penalty area and headed home from 6 yards by an unmarked Noel Leighton. This spurred on the hosts who had their best spell of the match but without troubling Heath keeper Roshan Greensall.

Gradually the Bears began to get the upper hand and Sheik was called into action again making a good low save to deny Lemon’s right foot shot. Five minutes before the break the Bridges “Man of The Match” Sheik showed why he is such a highly rated keeper.
On 35 minutes Heath were denied a blatant penalty when Lemon took the ball past Sheik and was clearly brought down, somehow the official waved it away!

Minutes later Quiassaca attacking down the left flank, got to the goal-line and played the ball into the danger area, the ball came off a retreating defender forcing Sheik to make a quick reaction save, it came out to Evans who hammered a right foot shot only to be denied again by the Bridges keeper, it came back to Evans who this time side-stepped a defender and hammered a left foot shot but once again Sheik somehow kept the ball out, this time it fell kindly for Bradley Campbell who rifled in a low shot that crashed against the foot of the post before finally being cleared to safety and it remained 1-1 at the break.

The hosts came out far more determined in the second period and took the lead by a somewhat controversial penalty within 11 minutes of the restart. A free kick was pumped forward from the halfway line and chased down by Ibrahim Jalloh with Charlie Parmiter in close attendance, with the forward headed away from goal a touch from Parmiter saw the player collapse to the ground and the match referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot, despite the Heath players protest the decision had been made and Brannon O’Neil stepped up to make it 2-1.

A third followed 10 minutes later with Dan Ferrreria finishing well with a right foot shot from 18 yards just wide of Grensall’s out-stretched arms. Noel Leighton added a fourth in the closing stages heading home a corner at the near post.

Into injury time and an unusual mistake by Sheik gifted his former team mate Mason Doughty a goal when his throw was intercepted by the Heath striker who duly dispatched the return past the keeper for a late consolation goal.

Next up for the Bears see Herne Bay visit the BodyMould Community Stadium on Saturday 7th October, Kick Off 3,00

Team: Greensall, Zabadyne, Chesworth, Penfold, Bromage, Scally, Parmiter, Evans (Mutongerwa 67), Quiassaca (Khallouqi 68), Lemon Campbell (Doughty 77).