Heath Over run by Title Favourites

Heath continued with its run of tough fixtures by welcoming hot favourites for promotion, Eastbourne Town to the Countryside Stadium. The visitors have, for a while, had a set up and playing squad that would probably be more at home in the Bet Victor Isthmian League and after a tight first half they really turned on the style as the rain started to settle across the pitch.
Heath began with the same discipline and organisation they had shown against Peacehaven during the week and although Town moved the ball both short and long with confidence and power, they failed to cut Heath open and at the other end Jamie Taylor and Max Howell almost opened the scoring for the hosts. Then on 27 minutes the impressive Tom Vickers curled a free kick over the wall and into Mitchell Bromage’s top right hand corner to give Eastbourne the lead.
Heath fought back and secured a run of corners and from the last of these, skipper Andy Waddingham’s near post run was picked out by Max Howell and he buried his header inside the post to bring his side level. The sides went in level at half time and Heath would have hoped to continue to keep it tight and break with pace whenever possible.
Unfortunately, this plan was blown out of the water inside 2 minutes after the restart as Vickers made it two from the first corner of the half. The rain was really hammering down now and Heath’s spirits certainly seemed dampened. Things might have been different if Taylor’s touch hadn’t deserted him in front of goal when put in by Jamie Wanstall but the game was settled in the 64th minute when Vickers stepped up to hit a swerving free kick which deceived Bromage who got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out.
Jake Hull offered a ray of hope when he got behind the Town defence and squared for substitute Ben Whitely who could only poke the ball wide from seven yards. Heath’s heads were dropping now and Dan Bolwell drove home through a crowd of players to make it four. Heath had a half chance to make it 4-2 when a corner was briefly loose in front of the Town goal but the danger was cleared and the ball moved quickly down the Heath right, past the now limping Alfie Jones and the cross was tucked home by Daniel Perry to complete a miserable afternoon for the Bears.
Steve Painter’s men had held their own for the first half but once Town got breathing space at 3-1, their power and experience were too much for the Bears. The visitors had strength and pace all over the field and are well worth their status as title favourites. Heath will now face Charlton Under 23s on Tuesday to celebrate the first season in the new Countryside Stadium before hosting Little Common next Saturday when they will be determined to get back on the winning trail.
Heath
Bromage, Jones, Robinson, Carney, Charman, Waddingham, Wanstall, Howell, Watts(Whitely), Taylor, Hull(Balfour)
Subs: Goddard, Cook