Broadbridge Heath went into this game trying to bring an end to a run of nine home games without a win stretching back to the 2-0 defeat of Erith Town back on the 22nd November. For the match Heath manager Chris Simmons made six changes to the starting line-up which included Matt Hay back from injury and making his first start for ‘The Bears’ since the 27th September.

The opening spell was fairly uneventful with neither goalkeeper being troubled too much until the 15th minute when Mertham’s keeper Max Foulkes played the ball straight down the middle of the park where it was headed forward by Sal Marino on the halfway line to Luke Bejashvili who slipped a pass between defenders to allow Matt Hay to run through and fire a left foot shot between keeper and post to give ‘The Bears’ the lead.

The visitor’s responded well and came close to equalising 5 minutes later when Olu Lawal found himself with time and space to strike a right foot shot across the goal and off the foot of the post. 10 minutes before the break Merstham’s skipper Matt Drage free-kick was floated into the six yard box to Charlie Stallard who powered a header narrowly over the crossbar but it was ‘The Bears’ who extended their lead in first-half injury time.

Broadbridge Heath won a corner on the right which Charlie Gibson delivered to the far post where it was headed back into the danger area by Bejashvili, Marino flicked it on to Matt Hay who converted from close range for his second and his team’s second to give ‘The Bears’ a 2-0 half-time lead.

The second half started with Merstham having a lot of the ball in the Heath half but unable to breakdown ‘The Bears’ defence marshalled by Lewis Hyde back from injury. Stallard fired a right foot shot from distance high over the Heath crossbar and Ange Djadja headed a good chance wide of the post.

On 70 minutes Heath’s Yuvi Mann attacked down the right flank, drove into the penalty area before attempting a pass inside, the ball striking the outstretched arm of Drage for a clear penalty but neither the Match Referee or his Assistant signalled much to the disappointment of the Heath management team, players and supporters all calling for a penalty kick.

If that wasn’t bad enough Heath followers were even more incensed on 86 minutes when Mann again advanced into the penalty area wide on the right and attempted to play the ball inside to Hay, Merstham’s Olly Allen was tracking back and played the ball back into the path of Mann who hammered a left foot shot past Foulkes for Heath’s third only for the Assistant Referee to signal that Mann was in an offside position when he received the ball from Allen and the Match Referee agreeing with him.

In the end those decisions didn’t matter too much with Heath winning the game by 2-0 and bringing an end to their poor run of home results.
Next up a trip to Deal Town on Saturday 28th March, Kick Off 3.00pm.

Team: Hadfield, Staight, Gibson (Terry 72), Marino, Hyde, Richardson, Connell (Napper 82), Hay, Evans, Mann, Bejashvili (Doughty 62).