The games continue to come thick and fast for The Bears with the trip to Hassocks on Saturday for an Isthmian league match being their twelfth competitive game in 39 days.

The sun was shining over ‘The Hassocks Hotel Beacon Ground’ as the teams kicked off and it was the hosts who had the first shot on target on 4 minutes when Charlie Pitcher received the ball wide on the left, just outside the penalty area, and fired a right foot shot straight into the arms of Heath goalkeeper Alfie Hadfield.

Pitcher was in action again on 13 minutes when a free kick was awarded wide on the left, close to the touchline, and the Hassocks striker struck a right foot shot that was gathered comfortably by the Hadfield on the goal-line.

The Robins took the lead on 24 minutes when a Hassocks move down the left flank was intercepted by Brad Peters winning the ball off the Hassocks player but the ball went straight to Pitcher some 28 yards from goal who controlled the ball with his left foot, turned and hammered a right foot shot that flew past Hadfield giving the Heath goal-keeper no chance of stopping.

Heath’s first real opportunity came on 26 minutes when Sal Marino got behind the Hassocks left back and played the ball in towards the near post to Zac Young but his goal-bound effort was blocked on the line by the outstretched leg of Robins goalkeeper James Shaw and somehow went over the crossbar to safety.

The Bears equalised minutes before the break when Luke Staight played a long pass down the right to Emmanuel Abudiore who got behind the fullback, took the ball to the goal-line and picked out Young 6 yards from goal who powered a header past Shaw to make it 1-1.

The hosts regained the lead within a minute of the restart and it was that man Pitcher involved again, this time receiving the ball wide on the right and playing a deep cross to the far post where it was met by the head of Jack Troak who powered a header past Hadfield.

Heath had their chances to equalise, Luke Staight blazed a right foot shot high and wide when well placed, Sean Terry headed a Gibson corner into the side netting and Shaw was alert to punch away a Staight corner from going straight in.

At the other end Pitcher was again denied by Hadfield making a good save to his left, Josh Mundy should have done better with a cross from the right but blasted his right foot shot from 12 yards high over the crossbar and in the closing minutes substitute Lewis Finney was unlucky to see his shot come off the foot of the post.

Into time added on and a Gibson corner from the left resulted in a goalmouth scramble with Young’s effort blocked on the goal-line but it remained 2-1 and the first victory in six games for the hosts.

Heath meanwhile can look forward to 7–days without a game and a chance to recharge those batteries.

Team: Hadfield, Staight, Gibson, Marino, Peters, Terry, Bejashvili (Cousins 78), Connell (Lawrence 55), Young, Evans, Abudiore (Dowdell 65).