After Saturday’s FA Trophy triumph it was back to league action for The Bears on Tuesday night when they welcomed newly promoted Faversham Town to The BodyMould Community Stadium.

Faversham have had a great start to life back in Step 4 football with just one defeat in thirteen games played this season and knowing that a win could see them move up to second place in the division, a point behind the leaders.

The game started at a frantic pace with the visitor’s high pressing game, getting players forward quickly in support of their attacks and in doing so forced Heath keeper Alfie Hadfield into an early save when he pushed Jack Parter’s long range shot over the crossbar.

The opening goal came on 16 minutes when Fran Collin intercepted a Heath pass on the halfway line and played the ball out wide right to Tashi-Jay Kwayle who strode forward before returning the ball to Collin who drove forward into the penalty area and drilled a low right foot shot past Hadfield.

Heath responded well and were awarded a free-kick 23 yards from goal, Matt Hay stepped up and struck a right foot shot that curled around the wall but was saved by former Heath goalkeeper Roshan Greensall diving at full length to his left to prevent an equaliser.

Things got even better for the visitor’s on 20 minutes when a move down the left saw the ball crossed from the goal-line towards the far post, four players, two from each team, challenged in the air for the ball which ended up in the back of the net, Kwale turned away to celebrate and receive the plaudits from his team-mates on what would have been his eighth of the season but video evidence showed the ball strike Luke Staight, under pressure from Kwale, for an own goal although I’m sure it’s one the Heath defender would prefer not to own up to and it remained 0-2 at the break.

Heath started the second half strongly and deservedly cut the deficit on 54 minutes when Matt Hay split the Faversham defence with an inch perfect pass allowing Callum Dowdell to run through and strike a right foot shot past Greenshall for his first league goal of the season.

The Bears hardly had time to celebrate before the visitor’s regained their two goal cushion when a long ball forward from the right back position was played down the right flank to Smith who played it inside into the path of Kwale some 20 yards from goal who hammered a right foot shot wide of Hadfield into the bottom left corner, no denying who scored that one.

Heath went on to have the lion’s share of the play but their game lacked that final clinical finishing. Elliott Romain came close for The Bears with a right foot shot that Greenshall turned away for a corner and Dowdell headed a cross from the left into the side netting but it remained 1-3 at the final whistle.

Team: Hadfield, Frankland (Connell 60), Staight, Napper, Lowery, Terry, Bejashvili (Lawrence 68), Marino, Romain, Dowdell (Adam 80).