50-yard goal helps Roffey beat Dorking - Broadbridge Heath beaten by nine-man Eastbourne

Broadbridge Heath 1 Eastbourne Town 2 - SCFL premier

This was Heath's first match for 2 weeks but despite the rest Heath manager Chris Simmons was still missing a host of players for various reasons including Matt Penfold, Louis Blake, Sean Terry, Jack Frankland, and Conor Baston.

The visitors came to the match in sixth place, one point and one place above the Bears in the table so a tight game was expected. Heath started well but it was the visitors who took the lead in the 6th minute when a corner from the right was played to the near post and converted from close range by Dan Rogers powering a header into the net.

Heath hit back with Jamie Taylor’s shot across the face of the goal going inches wide of the post and on 22 minutes Taylor’s goalbound effort into the top right corner was saved well by the Eastbourne keeper.

On 34 minutes the visitors were reduced to 10 men when Sam Cole dragged Taylor down when through on goal, minutes later Heath were forced to make their first change when a challenge on Jamie Buchanan saw him replaced and the score remained 0-1 at the break.

Despite having a man advantage Heath struggled to create any clear cut openings with the Town defence solid and dealing with everything The Bears came up with but midway through the half Heath finally found a way through the Eastbourne defence with Mason Doughty finishing off probably the best move of the afternoon with a left foot shot from 8 yards.

This prompted the visitors to take a few more chances and come out in search of a goal and that paid off 6 minutes later, Heath had a throw-in in the left back position but gave the ball away, it was played forward to Jack Samways who beat two defenders and struck a left foot shot from the edge of the penalty area into the bottom left corner.

Back in the lead and it was back to attack versus defence with once again the Eastbourne Town defence dealing with everything Heath could throw at them. With six minutes remaining the visitors were reduced to nine players when their goalkeeper had a bit too much to say to the match referee and was dispatched to the “sin bin”.

But Heath still couldn’t break down the defence or even test the stand-in goalkeeper and the game ended with victory to the visitors who you have to admit worked really hard for the points.

Roffey 4 Dorking Res 1 - SCFL division one

With manager Andy Lampard away, Gareth Neathey and Jack Stevens were in charge of a Roffey side who earned three more precious points towards promotion.

They were without injured Dan Pearse and Callum Jardim and unavailable Johden De Meyer. Janie Robinson continued at left back and Brendan Millborrow partnered Hayden Neathey in the heart of the defence.

As in the original fixture, abandoned at half-time, Wanderers started strongly and pinned Roffey back in the opening minutes. Then, after their first significant attack on five minutes, Tiago Andrade gained possession as the visitors tried to play out from the back and finished clinically past keeper Slav Huk.

Jack Ryder had a shot beaten away by Huk and Roffey’s backline had to be on their toes to snuff out and block the visitors’ raids.

Home fans’ nerves were eased on 20 minutes when in a crowded area Josh Neathey jinked this way and that before finding a way through the defenders with a low shot to make it 2-0.

Shortly before half time, Wanderers’ striker Conan Torpey, already booked, was given a second yellow for a clumsy foul on Millborrow resulting in his dismissal.

Roffey came out after the break without Millborrow and his place was taken by Aaron Collins.

Wanderers thought they were back in the game when a cross-shot from Max Leitch squeezed past Ed Harvey to halve Roffey’s lead ten minutes into the half. But their joy was shortlived as five minutes later Harry Law’s through ball found Neathey, who out muscled the Wanderers centre half and blasted a shot past Huk.

Harvey saved one well low down to his left but the hosts were now largely in control and the industrious pair of James Pearse and Jamie Wanstall were replaced by Chris Neatherway and Ross Swaine.

Neatherway came close to a fourth when a jinking run ended with a shot that was blocked for a corner. Any fans who left early to avoid the rush would regret it... as Swaine found Neathey on the halfway line and the Roffey man turned, glanced up and hit a fantastic dipping 50-yard shot.

It had Huk scampering back towards his goal but the ball flew in just under the bar.

SAM CHAOMAN

* A battle hardy Billingshurst edged out Arundel on Saturday to keep their hopes of a top-eight finish in the SCFL Division 1 on track. A penalty from Callum Nash and a Matt McAlpine goal helped ‘Hurst to a 2-1 victory from a scrappy afternoon in the shadow of Arundel Castle.

On another day, the relegation fighting Mullets could have easily grabbed a point from some second-half pressure which saw them pull a goal back with 12 minutes to play while also being down to ten men. But ‘Hurst, who again had a makeshift defence out due to a growing injury list, held out to make it back-to-back wins and consolidate eighth place.

Manager Lee Spicket said: “First and foremost, I’m pleased to come away from home with several players still missing through injury and get three points, that goes without saying. But for me, we got away with one, we never got in our stride our passing and decision making was off and, for most parts, we were second best.

"They had plenty of chances to get something out of the game. We need to be more consistent and approach and start games mentally right I’m not just going to pat players on the back for playing backs to the wall for most of the game against a side we should be putting out of sight. Yes I’m delighted to get the win but we were lucky.”

Home goalkeeper James Fernandes made a very smart save early on as a good ball across the box was turned goalwards by a defender, but razor-sharp reactions saw him turn the ball behind. Alfie Barnes also had a couple of good opportunities open up to him, but failed to really test the keeper.The visitors led on 33 minutes as Sam Bull latched onto a Harry Maynard pass and touched the ball around Fernandes, before being brought down. Nash smashed home from the penalty spot.

Having played into a ferocious wind first half, Billingshurst’s hopes of that advantage in the second half did not come to fruition as the elements calmed after the break. Hurst added to their lead on 63 minutes from a neat move involving Nash and Tom Edwards eventually saw McAlpine sweep home from ten yards.

Arundel had amassed pressure both before and after the second goal, but a combination of smart stops from Andy Barr, the woodwork and a Tommy Colbran block on the line, they had failed to find the net. There were also chances at the other as Bull fired across goal and wide and Edwards had a golden opportunity when played through. Arundel did pull one back on 78 minutes when after a goalmouth scramble the loose ball was tucked home. After that, Billingshurst made a professional job of killing the game and held out for a well-needed three points.

That win came after they bounced back to winning ways with high fives against Godalming Town – after having suffered the low fives the previous Saturday. A goal from Sam Bull, one by new signing Alfie Barnes, a double from Harry Smith and a wonder goal from Harry Maynard completed the rout of the Surrey visitors at Jubilee Fields.

No doubt ‘Hurst were boosted by a number of players returning from injury and unavailability that plagued them in Saturday’s 5-1 reverse at Epsom & Ewell – where they had eight ruled out.

It’s been a torrid few weeks for them, tempered by an impressive backs-to-the-wall win over Wick a couple of Tuesdays ago, but with numbers returning there is light at the end of the tunnel in their bid for a top-eight finish in division one.

Bull - deployed upfront - gave Billingshurst the perfect start against Godalming as he tapped in after following up a ball forward that the goalkeeper missed.

Eight minutes later it was 2-0 as Smith, who was a thorn in Godalming’s side all evening, latched on to a loose ball and smashed a half volley into the far top corner.

Godalming pulled one back on 22 minutes as a ball in from the right was parried into a dangerous area by the returning Andy Barr and Kurt Greenaway tucked the ball away for 2-1.

Just before half-time, Hurst restored their two-goal advantage as Harry Maynard, superb in an anchor role in midfield, collected the ball 30 yards out, took a touch to set himself and sent an dipping effort past the keeper. At the start of the second half, the back three of Ben Tyler, Matt Rendell and Jamie Bennett held out superbly.

A penalty by former Billingshurst man Jahobi Maher was brilliantly saved by Barr.

From there, Hurst pushed on and Bull fed Barnes on the right and he finished neatly, before Smith sent a trademark towering header into the net from a pin-point Maynard free-kick. Smith pickedup two bookings in the closing stages and was sent off.

Coach Ollie Berry said: “This showed what levels we can hit when we’re at our best.”