Heath Manager Steve Painter felt his team was unlucky not to get something from this game at Piddinghoe Avenue against a very useful Peacehaven & Telscombe side.
The hosts started stronger and created the first opening after 5 minutes play when Curtis Ford got on the end of a right wing cross but the striker put his header over the crossbar without troubling Michael Chester.
Twenty minutes into the game Tiago Andrade robbed the ball off a defender and played it into the path of Gicu Iordache who sprinted away from the defence but Peacehaven keeper Lawrence Sanded was off his line like a greyhound to dive at the strikers feet and push the ball wide of goal, Iordache gathered the loose ball and hit a left foot shot that was deflected off a defender and wide of the post, from the resulting corner the ball was returned to Tom Bold who hit a curling right foot shot inches wide of Sanded’s left post.
Heath continued to pressurise the home defence and Iordache went close with a left foot shot from the edge of the penalty area that took two deflections and ended up in the hands of an extremely grateful Lawrence Sanded when inches either side of him would have been a certain goal. Iordache appeared to be enjoying the space he was getting and was again unlucky with a goal-bound shot that took a deflection off a defender and onto the post.
At the other end the hosts always looked dangerous especially from set pieces and a last ditch block by Jamie Robinson denied Ford netting a second and from that corner Dean Bown headed over when well placed.
The game continued to flow from end to end Michael Lloyd should have put the home side ahead in the closing minutes of the half but blasted his effort over the crossbar from close range. Deep into time added on another Bold free-kick was directed towards Stuart Chester at the far post but the defender was inches away from putting his team ahead. Seconds later Jamie Connolly on for the injured Tom Fuller was put through on goal but again Sanded was off his line quickly to deny him a debut goal.
The second half was much quieter in comparison and the first real opportunity for either side came midway through the half when a long ball was played forward to Bown some 12 yards from goal with two Heath defenders paying him close attention. Robinson tried to clear the danger but the ball struck the Peacehaven man in the chest and fell kindly to his feet where he sidestepped Michael Chester and tapped in from close range.
Heath tried to get back into the game, Tiago Andrade went close with a header from a Bold free kick, Iordache struck a powerful shot from the edge of the box which went straight at Sanded, while Michael Lloyd was close for the hosts following a run at the defence but his final effort was gathered comfortably by Chester on the goal-line.
In the 96th minute a Stuart Chester long free kick was played deep into the Peacehaven penalty area where Connolly rose above everyone but steered his header over the cross bar and that brought an end to the proceedings.
Painter was pleased with his player’s work rate and said “We just need that bit of luck, we created a lot of chances in the first half but every time the ball was deflected it went in their favour. We hit the post twice, we had two “one on one’s”, Gicu’s shot took two deflections and the ball goes straight into the hands of their goalkeeper. Then at the other end they get a deflection and the ball ends up at their striker’s feet for an easy tap-in, that’s just the way things are going at the moment.”
Next up for Heath is the local derby with Horsham YMCA on Tuesday weather permitting. Kick Off is at 7.45.
Team: M. Chester, Godfrey, Robinson, S.Chester, Flack, Howard-Bold, Weller, Parsons (Sim 75), Andrade, Fuller (Connolly 35), Iordache.
# | Team | Pl | Pts |
13. | East Preston | 38 | 45 |
14. | AFC Uckfield Town | 38 | 44 |
15. | Broadbridge Heath | 38 | 37 |
16. | Eastbourne United | 38 | 32 |
17. | Arundel | 38 | 30 |
18. | Hassocks | 38 | 28 |
19. | Worthing United | 37 | 27 |