Broadbridge Heath 3-0 Bexhill United

Broadbridge Heath eased through to Round Two of the Sussex Senior Cup with a comfortable 3-0 home win over Division One side Bexhill United on Tuesday night.

Both teams were missing several key players but Heath welcomed back first choice keeper Michael Chester who’s missed the last nine matches, Andre Eckana who missed the game on Saturday and Kyle Sim back from suspension.

Heath started brightly and won two corners in quick succession, the first of which saw George Cousins come close with a glancing header at the near post that went narrowly wide of target. At the other end Bexhill’s Corey Wheeler got in a good position on the left flank but pulled his shot wide of Chester’s left hand post.

Heath took the lead in the 13th minute when Devon Fender broke away down the right flank and hit a low right foot shot which took a deflection and went in at the far post. Heath continued to create chances Tim Martin had a shot cleared off the line and put another over the crossbar when well placed, Alex Parsons hit a right foot shot from distance that went just wide of the post and George Cousins header from 8 yards went just over the bar but the score remained 1-0 at the break.

Heath continued the second period where they left off the first by creating a hatful of chances before Cousins scored the second in the 52nd minute with a shot from the edge of the box that took a deflection on its way to the net. Midway through the half Cousins scored his second and Heath’s third when the Bexhill keeper Dan Rose blocked a Fender thunderbolt from 20 yards but while others stood and watched Cousins was on his toes to put the rebound into the net for his 8th goal of the season.

The chances for Heath continued and minutes later Rose was forced into another fine save to deny Fender and with 15 minutes remaining Rose sprinted off his line to prevent Fender from reaching a Tom Bold through ball but the ball squirmed out his grasp allowing Fender to take a snap-shot at goal which hit a retreating defender on the line and flew up onto the post and out to safety.

So a good win for The Bears and a “Man of the Match” performance by George Cousins not just for his goals but his overall performance which will be missed for the next 3 games having been sent off at East Preston last Saturday.

Team: M.Chester, Eckana Robinson, Sim (L.Riecker 85), Flack, Howard-Bold, S.Chester, Parsons (Morrone-Buckingham 80), Fender, Martin (Garman 70), Cousins.