Haywards Heath Town 4-0 Broadbridge Heath

Earlier in the season on the 3rd Sep Broadbridge Heath became the first team to defeat the high-flying Haywards Hearth Town when Tiago Andrade was on target for the only goal of the game. Since then Town have continued to impress at the top of the division, with just 3 defeats, while Andrade has left and after a short spell at Horsham has moved into the opposition dugout.

On a cold blustery afternoon the home-side made a perfect start taking the lead with only 2 minutes play when the Bears defence failed to clear their lines and Callum Saunders hammered the ball past Michael Chester.

The Bears gradually got into the game and should have drawn level midway through the half when the ball was played in from the left to Jamie Robinson but his effort went just wide of the woodwork. Despite Town having the majority of possession the score remained 1-0 at the break.

The second half started even quicker with regards to goals than the first when Trevor McCreadie beat Chester with a header into the corner of the net within a minute of the restart.

Chester then made a double save but despite his efforts the ball came out to Jamie Weston who hammered it into the roof of the net for his teams 3rd in the 54th minute. Town added a 4th goal in the 60th minute and it was Weston again 15 yards out who volleyed the ball into the bottom left corner.

The Bears were unlucky not to pull a goal back in the 68th minute when Wright’s header came off the crossbar and minutes later Marlon Maxwell’s header went narrowly wide.

With time running out Town showed their desire to keep a clean sheet as first Niam Rouane made a block on the line then a combination of James Shaw and George Hayward managed to block out the follow up.

The teams meet again on the 7th March in the semi-final of the Peter Bentley Cup at Steyning.

Team: M. Chester, Holvey, Robinson, Chester, Attwater (Godfrey 5), Maxwell, Chester, Weller (Clark 75), Findlay, Holmes (Sultan 61), Moore, Wright. Subs: Sultan, Clark