Broadbridge Heath manager Chris Simmons made three changes to the side for the game at Eastbourne Town with Brad Peters returning after injury and Charlie Connell and Luke Bejashvili joining the starting line-up.

In a cagey start neither side created too many openings, Heath’s best chance came from an in-swinging corner from the left which was punched clear from under the crossbar by Town’s goalkeeper Chris Winterton while the hosts tactics were the direct route with long balls from back to front but it was one such move that created the opening goal on 12 minutes.

A Heath attack broke down on the edge of the Eastbourne penalty area, the ball was collected by Eastbourne’s Alfie Simmons who wellied it straight down the middle of the park, no danger was anticipated as Heath goalkeeper Alfie Hadfield came out to collect with Luke Staight in close attendance but the two Heath players hesitated and Aaron Anthony nipped in to steal the ball and run through to score into an empty net.

The equalising goal came 6 minutes before the break and was worth the entrance fee alone, a throw-on from the left by the halfway line led to a six man move with seven passes from left to right and ended with Staight playing the ball into Matt Hay wide on the right of the penalty area and the Heath midfield player hammered a right foot shot from the angle that dipped over Winterton into the net giving the Eastbourne keeper no chance of stopping and it remained 1-1 at the break.

The second half started well for The Bears, Sean Terry went on a run from defence to attack dribbling with the ball into the penalty area before firing a right foot shot that flew narrowly over the crossbar, Luke Bejashvili saw his right foot shot blocked by the arms of a defender and calls for a penalty were rightly dismissed by the match referee and minutes later another Bejashvili shot was blocked by Winteron.

At the other end Marcin Ruda got on the end of a through ball but Hadfield was out quickly to block but minutes later another long through ball caught Heath out with substitute Sonny Walshe running through, dribbling around Hadfield and slotting home from the angle to give his team the lead.

Heath had their chances to equalise, Winterton was forced into a low save to his right to deny Hay’s right foot shot from distance, Terry was close again with another right foot shot that skimmed the crossbar but it was Hadfield who made the best save of the night on 75 minutes when he saved from Walsh’s long range shot, diving across to his left to push the ball out for a corner.

After the game Simmons said “Nowhere near good enough from us tonight, two really sloppy goals given away and we didn’t take our chances! Good football isn’t enough without hard work and fair play to Eastbourne. They outworked & outfought us tonight!”

Team: Hadfield, Staight, Terry, Marino (Napper 83), Lowery, Peters (Frankland 83), Bejashvili (Dowdell 66), Connell, Romain (Lawrence 66), Hay, Young (Adam 85).