Lancing 2-1 Broadbridge Heath

Our second visit to Culver Road this season following our season opener against Worthing, a match we lost in a penalty shoot-out and on this occasion a large crowd of 300+ turned up to watch how the home side would get on against the Bears.

Heath manager Chris Simmons was forced to make several changes to the lineup with midfield players Charlie Parmiter, Matt Penfold and Andy Waddingham all missing along with defender Lewis Scalley and forward Ashley Mutongerwa out injured, while goalkeeper Rohan Greensall was suspended so it meant a welcome return in goal to Liam Matthews and a welcome back to Adrian Todd in the centre of midfield.

The home-side, fresh from their 4-0 hammering of division leaders Three Bridges, started strongly with Lucas Franzen-Jones cutting in from the right and forcing Matthews into an early save at his near post. On 15 minutes Knory Scott received the ball wide on the left drifted inside and hit a right foot shot from 20 yards that went narrowly wide of the Heath goal and Franzen-Jones effort from the edge of the box was comfortably saved by Matthews.

The Lancers took the lead on 32 minutes, a free kick was awarded wide on the left, the ball was floated into the 6 yards box for Charlie Bennett to head home at the near post, as simple as you like but some sloppy defending from the Bears.

Heath had rarely troubled the opposition goalkeeper Louis Rogers until the 37th minute when a right wing cross from Jake Lindsey was met by Sam Lemon 6 yards out with his back to goal, the Heath striker turned and shot in one movement only to be denied by a superb diving one handed save by Rogers, Mario Quiassaca pounced on the loose ball to fire another shot goal-wards only to be denied by another superb save by Rogers, getting up from the floor and somehow managing to turn the ball away for a corner.

Into first half injury time and a long ball down the left was played forward first time by Scott into the path of George Taggart who got round the back of the Heath defence and picked out Franzen-Jones for a tap-in from 8 yards, 2-0 at the break.

Heath started the second half much better and it was Rogers who was forced into the first save of the half comfortably saving from Lemons strike and minutes later Rogers was again in action turning Tad Bromage’s goal-bound effort out for a corner.

On 70minutes a foul on Jack Frankland right on the corner of the penalty area saw Jamie Chesworth step up to take the free-kick and what a kick it proved to be, hitting the ball with his left foot that saw the ball curl into the top left corner of the goal giving Rogers no chance at all of saving.

Heath were really piling on the pressure in search of the equaliser and Rogers was again in top form to deny Mason Doughty with a full length diving save to push the ball away and out for a corner but despite the mounting pressure the Lancers held out for the win that see them move up to 8th place.

Team: Matthews, Frankland (Terry 87), Chesworth, Todd, Bromage, Brackpool, Evans, Khallouqi (Kowalczyk 71), Quiassaca (Doughty 66), Lemon, Lindsey.