Broadbridge Heath 0-1 Sheerwater

Match Report courtesy of Ian Townsend.

You always know when a new season is scheduled to begin- it will feel like the autumn and undoubtedly be raining. Once again the weather gods didn’t disappoint, and the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup dawned on a day of dampness, downpours and drizzle. Proper football weather, unfortunately.

Today all roads led to Broadbridge Heath for their FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round tie with Sheerwater- although many of you are likely to be wondering which roads were involved. The Bears, newcomers to our ranks and indeed gracing Step Four with their presence for the first time in their history, perhaps haven’t really registered particularly strongly on the radar of Isthmian watchers prior to this season- although FA Cup Extra Preliminary Rounds in recent years have seen them face off against Sevenoaks Town, Hastings United and Littlehampton Town- the Golds for two years in a row, both wins for Town.

So, for those of you who will be looking to plan their journey at some point, here’s a landmark for you. Pretend you’re going to Horsham’s Camping World Community Stadium, and around five minutes north and just off the A24 by Tesco and a large leisure centre, voila- there be bears!#

The BodyMould Mattresses Stadium- handy if you should need a lie down- has been the home of Heath since just prior to the pandemic. Built new, with much local effort and grants from Sport England, it is modern, with fabulous facilities for this level, great floodlights, a pristine clubhouse with big screens showing the far less important kind of football, and fine catering. The club’s move to their new ground was only a short goal kick away from their previous location, but a million miles in quality.

The old ground (still in situ) was a sports stadium with an enormous athletics track owned by the local authority. Football pitches with athletics tracks around them don’t always provide the best surface or the best atmosphere, but watching a match at Heath’s previous home saw much of the time spent chasing the ball when it was sent out of play. All hail the High Wood Hill Sports Ground (the name of the ground at its inception), and the hard work of those who brought about its creation and keep it in fine condition; a small team of hard working, friendly and dedicated folks who were buzzing around the ground before kick off doing lots of critical, last minute jobs. There is always a warmth about Non League that doesn’t necessarily exist further up the pyramid, but on the basis of today Broadbridge Heath will be generating enough heat to give the club a welcoming glow even in the depths of winter. There were nerves, and excitement, but mainly an overwhelming sense of joy which was rather infectious.

The club arrived in our ranks courtesy of a campaign that was- by far- the most successful in their history. Title winners in the Southern Combination Football League, they lost only five matches out of thirty eight. They’ve followed that with a fine pre-season. In midweek they took on Worthing, National League South Play Off qualifiers last season, lest we forget, in the Sussex Charity Shield- and although they lost, it took a penalty shootout to wrest the trophy from their grasp. The signings over the summer- including former Hashtag United midfielder Jake Lindsey, former Merstham and Sittingbourne forward Mario Quiasacca and former Crawley Town and East Grinstead Town man Szymon Kowalczyk- have strengthened an already decent squad. It’s unrealistic to suggest that pre-season gives you an indication of how a team will compete once the fighting starts, and boss Chris Simmons was certainly not making any such suggestions before the match, but there is enough ability and experience available to suggest that this shouldn’t be a season of struggle for the newcomers. Anyway, we were about to see whether they could get quickly out of the blocks.

The players emerged into driving rain at three minutes to three, the weather so foul that initially the referee popped his head out of the doorway, let out an audible groan and went back in, trying to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. The delay increased a little more once the players were on the pitch, as the visitors decided to take advantage of the poor visibility for a team photograph, including two latecomers who they described as “Wallace and Gromit”- although neither appeared to be wearing the wrong trousers. Two minutes later we had the first chance, a free kick fired in by Charlie Weller for the hosts finding the head of Ashley Mutongerwa, and forcing a save from Kamil Blonski in the Sheerwater goal. In truth, the save was routine.

Although the hosts dominated the opening stages, the visitors were sharp, and went ahead on eight minutes. A cross from the right saw keeper Roshan Grenall come out and then retreat, realising he wasn’t going to reach it. It fell for Tommy Whitby, and he made no mistake, finishing neatly. The next chance also went the way of the yellow-clad visitors, and just before the quarter hour they had a third attempt, Whitby getting beyond his full back to direct a diving header wide.

Faris Khaquolli then had a chance for the hosts. He drove forward, his pink boots throwing up spray, and fired a shot wide of the keepers right hand post. It spurred on his side, who finally began to find their range with their passing, Lewis Scally and Dan Webster driving them forward from the back. Another chance, this one for Mason Doughty, the outcome similar to the last one, and the Bears were having their best spell, Wellar forcing Blonski to get his kit dirty. The rain slowed, and a hint of blue sky emerged.

With twenty eight minutes on the clock, a break gave the best chance so far for the boys in blue. Sam Lemon charged through the middle, a team mate either side of him, and decided to take it on himself. He made space, leant back, and watched his shot clear the bar. The rain came to a halt, and the patchwork of umbrellas on the far touchline came down.

The hosts weren’t having it all their own way, the visitors- particularly through the speed of Whitby down the left- regularly creating potential danger on the break. Sheerwater got men behind the ball when they didn’t have it, looked to break quickly when they had, and it was no coincidence that each of the Bears efforts had come from outside the box. They’d been given little space to exploit. At one point, with eight minutes remaining in the first half, Lemon looked to cross at the left hand edge of the box. In a flash, three players were preventing him from going anywhere but backwards. Khaquolli’s frustrations with the situation soon saw him become the first man into the book, and Lemon wasn’t far behind.

Doughty tried to create a goal for himself, neat footwork earning an opportunity which Blonski had to get behind and seemed to struggle to hold in the slick conditions. The same player then earned his side a corner with a fine run down the right, and it created perhaps their best chance, but Webster, arriving late into the box, couldn’t get over the ball and headed over the bar. The half came to an end with the hosts behind, and despite having the majority of possession the scoreline wasn’t an unfair reflection of the match.

HALF TIME: Broadbridge Heath 0 Sheerwater 1

The players emerged into actual sunshine for the second half, and the visitors got us underway, then were called back, and then got us underway again; whilst for the hosts Scally called upon his side to be “more aggressive.” Perhaps he should have added, “not too aggressive, mind, given two of you have been booked.” The hosts were quickly on the attack, however, and fine work from Doughty gave Mutongerwa a chance which he sadly couldn’t take.

The game quickly resumed its first half pattern, and we reached the hour mark with the hosts having perhaps seventy percent of possession without making Blonski miss a beat. Sheerwater didn’t look like scoring, but to be fair, they didn’t have to. The first change, Lemon squeezed from the field, Jake Lindsey his replacement, and the hosts upped the pace, but the outcome of their efforts remained the same. They made another change, Louis Evans on for Khaquolli, and there were twenty five minutes to find an equaliser. A fine combination between Mutongerwa and Charlie Parmiter brought them close, but again, no result, although for the first time the Sheerwater defence looked rather panicked.

Into the last twenty minutes and an Evans run down the right gave the hosts a corner, and the pressure mounted. One effort barely parried by the keeper was just about hooked off the line, and then a Matt Penfold volley forced a diving save as it arrowed towards the top corner. Mutongerwa got above his marker from the corner, but could only direct his header wide. It was the Bears best spell of the match, but it was Mutongerwa’s last contribution as Quisacca replaced him.

Fourteen minutes left, and a shot from Evans took two attempts for Blonski to save, the substitute’s influence on matters increasing. The visiting skipper pointed out to his side that they were second best at the moment, and they were, but they still had the only important statistic.

A shot from Quisacca was deflected just over the bar, the resultant corner headed out for another, and we were into the last five minutes, a rare Sheerwater attack easing the pressure for a moment. And then, with two minutes to go, Wellar had the ball in the edge of the box. “ Shoot” came the cry from the stand. Instead he moved the ball right, to Doughty, the most creative player on the field. This time? No. The ball spun off his shin and out for a goal kick, and into the last minute of normal time we went. Sheerwater took the ball to the other end, and substitute Wallace Rodrigues found the side netting. There couldn’t be long left, there had been no injuries or note.

The visitors kept the ball at the wrong end, playing for time. Then they made a change, and the clock ticked towards the ninety third minute. Perhaps there’d be one more chance? A corner to the hosts, everyone but the keeper forward. A scramble, and another corner. Cleared. Evans shaped to shoot, thirty yards out, and the ball arrowed over the bar. Surely that was that? Another chance, Lindsey from distance, well over. And, finally, that was that.

FINAL SCORE: Broadbridge Heath 0 Sheerwater 1

Sheerwater celebrated, as well they might- and on the strength of their defensive performance the victory was deserved.

The hosts hung their heads in disappointment, but despite the cup exit there was much that was promising. The side had lacked a cutting edge but their approach play had been generally good, and very easy on the eye. Nobody will be judging them on just one game.

The club has made enormous progress over the last few years. They have a fine ground, committed, hard working staff, a talented manager and a squad of players who, with a little Isthmian experience behind them, won’t be here just to make up the numbers. Broadbridge Heath is but a village, but after a lifetime looking up to their neighbours in the town down the road that village is closing the gap between the two at a rate of knots. Look out Horsham, the Bears are on the loose!