Loxwood’s ten game unbeaten run came to an end on Tuesday night when local rivals Broadbridge Heath came away from Plaistow Road with a 2-0 win that sees them go through to the semi-final of the Peter Bentley Challenge Cup.

Heath Manager Steve Painter was forced to make changes to his team with Dean Wright and Ross Swaine both cup-tied, Joe Holvey out with a bad back and Jake Holmes still carrying a knock and only making the subs bench.

Loxwood also had a few missing and were forced to make a late change when Jay Levitt failed to arrive in time for kick off and Eddie French took over at the heart of the Magpies defence.

Heath started the match at a fast pace Tim Martin and Jamal Sultan both causing problems down the flanks and on 15 minutes they took the lead when Sultan broke away down the right and interchanged passes with overlapping fullback Rob Godfrey and it ended with Godfrey cutting in and curling a left foot shot that went in at the far side of the goal.

Things got even better for Heath just 4 minutes later when Ollie Moore was brought down just outside the penalty area and Tiago Andrade rifled the free kick over the wall into the net giving Heath a deserved 2-0 half-time lead.

Heath were forced to make changes again before the second half resumed with Piers McDermott coming off with a badly swollen ankle and shortly into the restart a heavy but fair challenge on Tim Martin saw the Heath striker limp out of the game. Heath continued to create the better chances with Marlon Maxwell heading a Scott Weller corner just over the bar, Weller then hit the post with a left foot shot and substitute Jake Holmes had his effort blocked by the Loxwood keeper.

The home side pressed forward late in the game but were restricted to shots from distance which keeper Michael Chester dealt with quite comfortably and Heath could have wrapped it up in the closing minutes when Holmes shot first time wide of the Magpies keeper but as he turned away to celebrate the ball went agonisingly wide of the far post.

An excellent win for Heath who started the game with 8 players who had come through the youth setup, 5 of whom started at the age of 7. In the semi-final they will play the winners of the Haywards Heath/Eastbourne United match.

Team: M.Chester, Godfrey, Robinson, S.Chester, Maxwell, McDermott (Weller 46), Moore, Martin (Holmes 55), Findlay, Sultan, Andrade (Sandell 80).