For the opening game of the season Broadbridge Heath welcomed newly promoted Crowborough Athletic to the BodyMould Community Stadium on a lovely summer’s afternoon perfect for watching our beautiful game.

Heath manager Chris Simmons has been forced to make a number of changes to his side that finished last season’s campaign and his squad for this opening match included seven new signings and it was one of those, Luke Bejashvili, who was involved in the opening goal on 12 minutes when Zac Young took a low in-swinging corner from the right, the ball was cleared as far as Bejashvili 20 yards from goal who played it back into the danger area to Sal Marino to fire a left foot shot wide of the Crowborough goalkeeper Charles Holmwood.

The Bears doubled their lead 8 minutes before the break with a move started by Club Captain Bryon Napper who played the ball forward to Matt Hay on the right, he in turn slipped a pass between two defenders allowing Luke Staight to run through and steer the ball past Holmwood for his first goal for the club and it remained 2-0 at the break.

The visitor’s started the second half well, had a lot of possession but that final clinical finish was missing from their game; while Heath were looking good on the counter-attack with Holmwood saving well from Young’s left foot shot from 20 yards and then denying Matt Hay with a low save to his left but the keeper could do nothing to prevent Heath’s third on 63 minutes when Staight went on another one of his forward runs down the right flank, exchanging passes on his way before firing a shot across the face of goal to Bejashvili arriving at the far post who hammered a right foot shot low into the bottom right corner of the net.

The Crows pulled a goal back 3 minutes later through Marcus Goldsmith who struck a right foot shot from 25 yards that deflected off a Heath defender and looped over The Bears goalkeeper Alfie Hadfield into the net.

Heath continued to create chances and restored their 3 goal advantage 15 minutes from time when Marino advanced down the left into the penalty area before playing the ball across the goal to Szymon Kowalczyk who struck a left foot shot past Holmwood for his first senior goal for the club.

Into injury time and Heath scored their fifth when Francis Junior Ze picked out ‘Man of the Match’ Zac Young 10 yards from goal who took a touch before firing in with his left foot to complete a very good afternoon for Chris Simmons side.

Team: Hadfield, Staight, Terry, Napper (Connell 75), Lowery (Frankland 77), Peters, Bejashvili (Kowalczuk 64), Marino, Romain (Junior Ze 70), Hay (Andall-Gibbons 77), Young.