Broadbridge Heath 0-2 Shoreham

Heath’s road to Wembley came to an early conclusion after just one game on Saturday when fellow Premier Division side Shoreham visited the Leisure Centre for an FA Cup Preliminary Round and won by 2-0 but it could have been oh so different had the Bears been more clinical in front of goal.

Heath’s first clear goal scoring opportunity came after 17 minutes when Scott Weller played a short corner from the left into the path of George Cousins who struck a right foot shot that dipped over the keeper, James Broadbent, off the bar onto the post and out to safety. Minutes later Cousins was involved again when he played the ball to Tom Bold some 25 yards from goal but his right foot shot flew high over the crossbar.

Heath’s early dominance resulted in a series of corners and from one Stuart Chester flicked the ball on at the near post it found Marlon Maxwell who headed straight into the arms of Broadbent. Weller rifled a shot in from 25 yards but again straight into the arms of the keeper and in the closing minutes headed a Harri Nourse cross over the bar.

The visitors rarely troubled the Heath defence with their only notable effort on goal coming in first half injury time when Ross Myers drilled a free kick from 20 yards that was heading towards the bottom left corner before Fox pushed it wide of the post.

Myers obviously took some confidence from that effort as he attempted another long range shot minutes into the restart which Fox tipped over the crossbar and from the resulting corner Andrew Dalehouse headed against the Heath crossbar.

Heath fought back with Weller going close again with a right foot shot from distance just wide of the post and Maxwell heading yet another corner narrowly over the bar.

The opening goal came against the run of play when the ball was played up to Dalehouse who was forced wide of goal by a defender but somehow the striker managed to get a shot off from the angle that went across the face of goal off the inside of the far right post and into the net.

Minutes later at the other end Heath were awarded a free-kick in the semi-circle, the ball struck the wall and for several seconds it was a case of a free-for-all as players desperately tried to get on the end of the loose ball before it was finally cleared away from the penalty area to safety.

With 20 minutes remaining a ball was played through to Cousins who as through on goal but with Broadbent quickly off his line to close the angle the Heath striker tried to take the ball around the keeper but by doing so allowed a defender to get back to clear the danger.

In the closing minutes Ben Hands and George Gomez both went close but deep into time added on the visitors wrapped up the game when Dalehouse was played through, shrugged off a defender and goal keeper to power his way through and score from close range.

So a disappointing result for the Bears who on balance of play and chances created should have won their way through to the next round but it’s goals that count and in Andrew Dalehouse Shoreham have a striker who knows where the back of the net is.

BBH: Fox, Godfrey, Robinson, Maxwell, S.Chester, Bold, Chowney, Weller (Jones 85), Nourse (Hands 65), Cousins (Gomez 80), Carney.

Shoreham: Broadbent, Firman, McLennan, Rhodie, Dunk, Tuck, Myers, Thasarathar, Dalehouse, McCormick, Joseph.
Subs Kirk-Patrick, Usherwood.