Heath manager Chris Simmons was forced to make three changes to his team for the trip to Sittingbourne with skipper Ryan Brackpool suspended, Kyle Sim unwell and Ashley Mutongerwa unavailable but that gave opportunities for Andy Waddingham to play alongside Tad Bromage at the heart of the defence, Sean Terry to come in at right fullback and leading scorer Mason Doughty back after his spell of illness.

With the forced changes I don’t think too many people could have predicted the outcome of this match, travelling to promotion hopefuls Sittingbourne who lay third in the division, top of the current form table and with nine wins from their last ten matches but as Saint and Greavsie use to say “It’s a Funny Old game”.

The match started with the hosts picking up their first yellow card within seconds of the kickoff, which in itself must be some sort of record, when Ayman El-Mogharbel deliberately upended Sam Lemon to halt his advance into their half.

The hosts put the Bears defence under some early pressure winning several corners and putting in some useful crosses into the Heath danger area and from one such corner on 7 minutes the ball came off a Sittingbourne forward at the near post, onto the post and straight into the arms of a very grateful Alfie Hadfield.

On 9 minutes a superb last ditch challenge from Terry denied what looked a certain goal from Sittingbourne’s Danny Parish just 10 yards out and with the goal at his mercy but while the striker hesitated, Terry was in like a flash to make the tackle and clear the ball.

At the other end Heaths first real goal attempt came on 11 minutes from a free-kick just outside the penalty area but Jamie Chesworth’s left foot shot flew high over the bar and over the stand behind the goal. Minutes later some good work by Terry advancing down the right flank before passing the ball inside to Lemon but the Heath strikers right foot effort failed to trouble the Sittingbourne keeper.

Just before the break Heath were awarded a free-kick wide on the right, Chesworth stepped up and played a left footed diagonal cross towards the far post where Tad Bromage got round the back of the defenders and headed the ball down and it flew off the ground and bounced up into the net to give the Bears a half-time lead.

Heath started the second half well and created several chances the best of which was a right foot shot from distance by Matt Penfold which flew narrowly over the crossbar. While at the other end the hosts were restricted mainly to long range shooting without troubling the Heath goal.

Into the final 15 minutes of the match and the home side threw everything forward in search of the equaliser, relying a lot on long throw-ins from fullback Bagason Graham whose biceps must have been aching by the end of the game, as with every opportunity he would launch the ball towards the Heath penalty area but the Bears defence, marshalled by Bromage and Waddingham held firm with Hadfield comfortably dealing with any high balls played his way.

So another well deserved 3 points for the Bears on the road against a very good side, next up see Sevenoaks Town visit the BodyMould Stadium on Tuesday 19th March, Kick Off 7.45

Team: Hadfield, Terry (Todd 60), Chesworth, Penfold, Bromage, Waddingham, Lemon, Buchanan, Aubrey, Parmiter (Evans 63), Doughty.