Broadbridge Heath 3-3 Beckenham Town

Heath went into the game still seeking their first home league win of the season and they got off to a perfect start on 2 minutes when a long drop kick from goalkeeper Alfie Hadfield sent Mason Doughty away down the right flank and the Heath player ran with the ball to the edge of the penalty area before hitting a right foot shot that deflected off a defender and flew into the net.

The Bears continued to create the better chances with Szymon Kowalcyk hitting a left foot free-kick from the edge of the box over the wall but over the crossbar too and minutes later Louis Evans cut in from the left before striking a left foot shot that also flew over the crossbar. At the other end, a rare Beckenham attack saw Lewis Allen try his luck with a left foot shot from 18 yards that Hadfield saved comfortably.

Heath doubled their lead on 24 minutes when Evans was brought down in the penalty area, an easy decision for the Match Referee and no complaints from the away players either as skipper Ryan Brackpool stepped up to convert the spot kick into the bottom right corner with the visitor’s keeper choosing to dive in the opposite direction.

Heath had a great chance to make it 3-0 on 33 minutes when a Kowalcyk corner from the right came to an unmarked Brackpool stooping low at the far post but the defenders header was off target flying inches wide of the post. Other chances came to Sam Lemon cutting in from the left only to shoot wide of the post and Evans again on target but his shot not troubling Nick Blue the Beckenham keeper and it remained a comfortable 2-0 for the Bears at the halfway stage.

That warm comfortable feeling didn’t last too long with the visitor’s pulling a goal back within 3 minutes of the restart, a long ball played down the right was crossed into the Heath danger area to Dieko Falade who turned one way then the other before dispatching a left foot shot from 8 yards past Hadfield to reduce the deficit.

That goal really spurred the visitor’s on and they were now having their best spell of the afternoon as they searched for the equaliser. Freddie Nyhus almost scored with a left foot shot from close range that struck the foot of the post and minutes later Funsho Sinai hit a right foot effort over the Heath crossbar but the equaliser wasn’t too long in coming on 56 minutes.

A Beckenham throw-in was taken by Peter Wedgeworth just in front of the visitor’s dug-out, the ball was played back to the defender who launched a first time cross high towards the Heath far post where it was met by Sinai, running in from the right and he drilled a low right foot shot into the net to bring his side level.

Somewhat against the run of play the Bears restored their lead on 67 minutes when Gideon Acheampong crossed the ball from the left flank and Ben Aubrey rose like a salmon to steer a header wide of Blue for his first goal for the Bears.

The visitor’s again came back and equalised from the spot when an accidental coming together between Tad Bromage and Falade resulted in a penalty kick which Falade converted to bring the score level at 3-3.

In the closing minutes a great chance for Heath to snatch all 3 points when Jake Lindsey crossed from the right into the path of Stan Berry who hit it first time but the ball was saved by the legs of Blue diving to his right and the game ended all square.

Team: Hadfield, Kowalczyk (Lindsey 67), Archeampong, Peters, Bromage, Brackpool, Penfold, Evans, Aubrey, Lemon (Berry 74), Doughty (Waddingham 61).