Loxwood 2-1 Broadbridge Heath

Broadbridge Heath Manager Steve Painter made eight changes to the team that started against Pagham on Saturday with the most welcome return being that of of having a recognised goalkeeper, Michael Chester back between the posts.

However things didn’t go quite to plan when the hosts were gifted a goal in the 6th minute of play when a mix-up between brothers Michael and Stuart Chester allowed former Heath striker Tiago Andrade through to score with a tap-in.

Seven minutes later Jahobi Maher played a cross field ball from the left into the path of Shaun Findlay but the Heath midfielder was denied by the home goal-keeper Dave Carruthers sprinting off his line to clear the danger. Byron Napper came close to adding a second for the hosts when he volleyed a left wing cross against the underside of the crossbar but on 16 minutes The Bears were level; Maher was again involved crossing the ball from the left into the penalty area where Marlon Maxwell got between two defenders to steer a header wide of Carrurthers into the top left corner to make it 1-1 at the break.

The hosts started the second half well with a lot of possession but no real goal threat while at the other end Carruthers was the busier of the two keepers, saving strikes from Jamal Sultan and Maher. In the 55th minute Jamie Liddell blasted a right foot shot from 25 yards that flew past Carruthers like an exocet and crashed against the underside of the bar and out to safety.

On the counter attack the ball was played towards Napper on the edge of the Heath penalty area, the midfielder did really well to gather the ball and find the space to get off a right foot shot past Chester giving his team the lead.

Heath continued to push forward for the equaliser and Maher got on the end of a Heath free-kick but again shot straight at Carruthers; at the other end former Heath player Michael Wood headed a cross way over Chester’s bar and in the closing stages Heath were again denied by Carruthers when he saved a Maher shot at full length to push the ball out for a corner.

A much better performance from Steve Painter’s side who probably feel a bit unlucky not to come away from Plaistow Road without at least a point

Team: M Chester, Clark, Robinson, Chester, Attwater, Maxwell (Jo Maher 75), Weller, Findlay, Sultan (Nash 70), Ja Maher, Liddell (Sim).