The second time of meeting for these two former Southern Combination League sides with Heath wanting to gain revenge for their 1-2 home defeat just 10-days earlier.

Heath manager Chris Simmons was again without a host of his first team regulars through injury but the players who have stepped up so far have all done the club proud and for the trip to the Saffrons it meant a first league start for former Horsham Under 18 skipper James Archard at right fullback.

Heath started the game well and forced the first save of the match when Matt Hay’s right foot shot was pushed wide of the post by Eastbourne goalkeeper Chris Winterton.

At the other end Alfie Simmons tried his luck with a long range right foot effort that flew wide of the post and on 23 minutes his team mate Jack Murphy fired a left foot effort from distance over the Heath crossbar.

On 29 minutes Lewis Croal picked up the ball in the middle of the park and ran at the Eastbourne defence but couldn’t get his shot off and the ball fell nicely into the path of Matt Hay who hit a low right foot effort that was blocked by a defender and went straight into the arms of a grateful Winterton.

Minutes later Mason Doughty broke away down the right, took the ball towards the goal-line before playing it low across the goalmouth towards Croal who was denied a tap-in by a smart interception by Winterton.

The hosts had a great chance to take the lead 5 minutes before the break when a stray pass inside by Sean Terry went straight to the Eastbourne Town centre-forward James Ding who struck a low right foot shot that was brilliantly saved by Billy Eastwood off his line quickly to save with an outstretched leg.

In the closing stages of the half Terry powered his way down the left flank before playing the ball inside to Stan Berry who hit a powerful right foot shot from 20 yards that was brilliantly saved by a diving Winteron low to his left and the score remained 0-0 at the break.

The hosts started the second half on the attack, James Hull shot over the crossbar when well placed, Nathan Hover got on the end of a corner but somehow headed over the crossbar from close range.

Heath’s best chance came from Charlie Parmiter on 52 minutes when he tried his luck with a lob from 30 yards that almost caught Winterton out back-tracking and just managing to push the ball over the crossbar to safety.

The game changed on 74 minutes with the introduction of Mark Goldson and Callum Dowdell from the bench, fresh legs and quick forwards giving the home defence a different problem to contend with; and within minutes Heath had taken the lead, a good build-up with exchange of passes down the left flank saw the home defence move across to deal with it but that allowed Archard acres of space to advance down the right, the ball was played inside to Hays who’d spotted Archard’s run and played the ball out wide to the fullback who took a touch before hammering a low right foot shot under the Eastbourne keeper into the bottom left corner, what a way to cap your league debut, one game, one goal.

The home side threw everything forward in search of the equaliser but couldn't break down the Heath defence and it could have been 2-0 to the Bears in the closing stages when Dowdell sent Goldson through on goal but with Winterton sprinting off his line the Heath striker shot low just inches wide of the post but it remained 0-1 to the Bears at the close of play.

Team: Eastwood, Archard, Terry, Marino, Peters, Sim, Berry (Dowdell 74), Parmiter, Croal (Goldson 74), Hay, Doughty (Lindsay 86).