Broadbridge Heath 0-2 Chichester City

Two late Scott Jones goals decided this semi-final in favour of Chichester City in a very evenly contested match in dreadful conditions at the Leisure Centre.

Not for the first time this season Heath were missing several key players through work commitment, suspension or injury so Painter gave first team debuts to Matt Nezval on loan from Burgess Hill, Yusuf Twiine and Harry Balfour came into the team for his first start of the season following a serious injury.

The visitors forced the first save of the game when Scott Jones took an in-swinging corner from the right that was caught in the crosswind and almost crept in at the near-post before being cleared away by Michael Chester.

The visitor’s keeper Anthony Ender produced a superb reflex save midway through the half when Curtis Griffins shot from 20 yards was deflected goal-wards by Jake Holmes 8 yards out but Ender’s lightning reactions produced a brilliant save low down to his left to deny the Heath striker. Minutes later at the other end Chester was forced into action pushing a Harry Williams free-kick from distance over the crossbar.
Heaths best chance of the half came on 30 minutes when Scott Weller ran with the ball at his feet and from 30 yards rifled a left foot shot that crashed against the inside of Ender’s left post and back across the face of goal desperately unlucky and a strike worthy of a goal. In the closing minutes of the half it was Heaths turn for some good fortune when a Chichester shot ricochet off Chester’s post.

The second half didn’t start too well for Heath with Gicu Iordche being forced off with a hamstring injury but the first chance came to Matt Nezval with a shot that dipped just over the Chichester crossbar. Midway through the half substitute Ryan Peake found space in the Heath penalty area to fire off a shot blocked by Chester’s legs as the game continued to flow from end to end.

With 15 minutes remaining George Cousins broke into the Chichester penalty area but pulled his shot across the face of goal and wide of the post. A minute later Chichester were awarded a free kick wide on the left outside the Heath penalty area but close to the touch-line, the ball was crossed into the penalty area where Jones rose above everyone to place a header wide of Chester into the goal.

In the closing minutes Heath were awarded a corner and pushed everyone forward in search of the equaliser but the cross was cleared up-field and on the counter attack the visitors were two against one, Jones was sent through on goal, Chester made a brilliant save to deny the first attempt but the ball fell kindly to the striker who tapped in the rebound.

Heath still created chances with Cousins twice going close, shooting narrowly over with one attempt and Ender making another superb diving finger-tip save to deny him with the second but Chi held on to book a final against local rivals Pagham.

Steve Painter was particularly disappointed with the result and felt it was a lost opportunity with nothing between the two sides and the feeling was if we’d taken our chances or had one or two more players available then we could have won the game.

Heath can now concentrate on the league with the visit of Eastbourne United to the Leisure Centre on Saturday.

Team: M. Chester, Martin, Robinson, Balfour, Flack, Griffin (Sim 80), Weller, Holmes, Iordache (Twiine 50), Cousins, Nezval.