Heath got back to winning ways with a convincing 3-1 home win over already relegated Hythe Town on Saturday at The BodyMould Community Stadium but things didn’t go quite to plan with the visitor’s taking the lead on 16 minutes.

Broadbridge Heath started brightly with Mark Goldson intercepting a cross-field pass on 5 minutes and trying his luck with a right foot lob over the goalkeepers head from 35 yards that dropped narrowly over the crossbar onto the roof of the net.

Minutes later Byron Napper won the ball on the halfway line and played it out left to Mason Doughty allowing the Heath forward to advance into the opposition penalty area and strike a left foot shot which was saved at the near post by Hythe goalkeeper Charlie Wealands.

Despite the good start thought it was the visitors who took the lead when Ellis Brown received the ball wide on the right and crossed it into Javaun Splatt, 12 yards out with his back to goal but the burley striker took one touch, turned and struck a right foot shot that flew past Alfie Hadfield giving the Heath stopper no chance of saving.

Heath responded well and Doughty went close again with a right foot free kick from 20 yards that went round the wall but was gathered comfortably by Wealands on the goal-line.

Further chances came Heaths way with Doughty again involved intercepting a pass but blasting wide of the target from 20 yards and Sal Marino heading a right wing cross from Eugene Moteane wide of the mark.

The equalising goal finally arrived on 37 minutes and it followed a good exchange of passes between Doughty, Napper and Moteane before coming to Louis Evans to hammer home a right foot shot from 25 yards that flew into the bottom right corner.

Heath continued to create some good chances and on 42 minutes Doughty was again in action running with pace at the Hythe defence before firing a right foot shot that flew low across the face of goal but just wide of the post.

The Bears took a deserved lead 2 minutes before the break when a long Hadfield drop kick was chased down by Goldson who held it up before playing it inside to Evans who took a touch and drilled a left foot shot from 20 yards into the bottom right corner and it remained 2-1 at the break.

Heath saw out the second half pretty comfortably and added a third on 58 minutes when the ball was played up to Doughty on the edge of the box who struck a fierce right foot shot that was parried by the goalkeeper into the path of Goldson whose shot was charged down but the ball came straight back to Doughty who made sure the second time firing past Wealands to secure the points for The Bears.

Team: Hadfield, Sim (Fuller 69), Terry (Chesworth 83), Napper (Waddingham 85), Bromage, Peters, Moteane (Dowdell 81), Evans, Goldson, Doughty (Adam 70).