Heath Manager Chris Simmons side were missing a hatful of players through injury and unavailability including the following: Alfie Hadfield, Tad Bromage, Jamie Chesworth, Matt Penfold, Louis Evans, Sam Lemon and Andy Waddingham but despite the absentees he still managed to field a side strong enough to compete at this level.

In a game you could define as a match of the proverbial two halves, Heath created a lot of chances in the first half but only managed to convert one of them, going in at the break all level at 1-1 but failing to reach the same high levels in the second half.

The Bears took an early lead on 6 minutes when a Callum Dowdell corner from the left was headed home by Mark Goldson at the near post for his fifth goal in eight starts since joining the club from Steyning Town.

Callum Dowdell was next to have a shot on target 5 minutes later when he cut into the penalty area from the left between two Eastbourne defenders and hit a right foot shot which was gathered comfortably by Eastbourne Keeper Chris Winterton.

Minutes later Matt Hay played a pass that split the Eastbourne defence and allowed Goldson to rifle a right foot shot from the edge of the box that flew inches over the Eastbourne crossbar.

Heath continued to create chances and on 16 minutes Sean Terry linked up well with Dowdell wide on the right and the Heath defender hit a low shot across the face of goal and narrowly wide of the far post.

Winterton was again in action on 24 minutes when Hay played the ball into the penalty area to Goldson who hammered a right foot shot straight at the Eastbourne keeper.

At the other end a rare opportunity for the visitor’s when James Hull received the ball in the middle of the park and attempted a long range right foot shot that was dragged wide of the post.

Another chance came Heath’s way in the 37th minute when Hay’s right foot shot was blocked on the goal-line by a defender but the Bears were made to pay for those missed chances 4 minutes before the break.

The Referee awarded Eastbourne a free-kick in a dangerous position to the right of the Heath penalty area, the ball way played high in the air towards the far post to Dan Hull who sneaked in round the back of the Heath defence to convert from 3 yards and make it 1-1 at the break.

The visitor’s had the first chance in the second period when Leon Greig went close with a free kick from 20 yards that went narrowly wide of the post and at the other end Mason Doughty got on the end of a left wing cross but headed into the side netting.

The winning goal came midway through the half when Heath gave the ball away in midfield and the visitor’s broke away quickly down the right, the ball was played across the goal to James Waters at the far post who dinked it over the advancing Heath keeper into the net and that’s how it remained at full-time.

A disappointing second half performance from the Bears who will rue those missed chances in the first half but we go again on Tuesday when we play Herne Bay at home.

Team: Eastwood, Marino, Terry, Buchanan, Peters, Sim (Archard 79) Dowdell (Cranmer-Flynn 79), Parmiter, Goldson (Croal 71), Hay, Doughty (Berry 71).