Broadbridge Heath got off to a great start in their away Isthmian League match at Crowborough Athletic on Saturday, taking the lead in the 4th minute when a Charlie Gibson free-kick from the right was floated towards the far post, the ball ricochet around the 6-yard box until it found its way to Lewis Hyde who poked it across the goal-line from a yard out, the defenders first goal for the Bears.

Zac Young made it 2-0 on 12 minutes when he intercepted a cross-field pass, advanced towards the Crowborough goal and struck left foot shot from 30 yards that flew past the Crows goalkeeper Charlie Holmwood into the bottom right corner of the net, his 18th goal of the season.

At the other end The Crows first shot on target came midway through the half when Alfie Lambden received the ball inside the “D” and played it wide right into the path of Marcus Goldsmith who fired a right foot shot that Heath goalkeeper Alfie Hadfield pushed over the crossbar with the resulting corner coming to nothing.

Heath continued to have the lion’s share of possession and created some really good goal-scoring opportunities; Jake Lawrence firing one right foot effort wide of the post when well placed, minutes later the Heath striker beat the offside trap, took the ball around the goalkeeper but from the angle put the ball wide; proof that it wasn’t going to be the strikers day came soon after when a cross from the left found Lawrence in bags of space, 6 yards from goal but inexplicably the Heath striker placed his header wide of target.

Minutes before the break Neo Wooster, making his first start for The Bears since his move from East Grinstead Town, played a left wing cross to the far post to Zac Young completely unmarked and in the 6-yard box but just to prove he’s human, the Heath talisman put the ball over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy and somehow the score remained 2-0 at the break.

Heath started the second half on the ascendency and created several more chances but it was the hosts who pulled a goal back on 56 minutes when Harry Forster went down under a challenge some 22 yards from goal, the referee awarded a free-kick which was dispatched by substitute Jack Lyons into the top right corner of the net, a superb left foot strike giving Hadfield no chance of stopping.

Heath continued to create some really good chances but for once that clinical finish was lacking from their game and they were punished for those misses when the hosts equalised 2 minutes from time and it was Lyons again who received a cross-field pass, left to right, from Connor Pring, the striker shifted the ball to his left and struck a left foot shot that deflected off Charlie Connell and past Hadfield to help his team to a share of the points.

After the match Heath manager Chris Simmons posted “Frustrating game in difficult conditions, we started really well and should have been 5-0 by half-time but in this league if you don’t take your chances it comes back to get you!”

Next up for The Bears is a trip to Merstham on Saturday 6th December, Kick Off 3.00pm.

Team: Hadfield, Wooster, Gibson, Connell, Hyde (Richardson 20), Marino, Romain, Evans, Lawrence Young, Doughty (Dowdell 62).