Broadbridge Heath power to home win over Peacehaven

Heath manager Chris Simmons made one change to his starting line-up against Peacehaven with last season’s leading goalscorer Zac Young (25 goals) returning from holiday having missed the opening two league matches.

The visitors started brightly and had the first goal-scoring opportunity on seven minutes when a Broadbridge Heath defender was caught in possession by Emmanuel Okunja who won the ball and then tried to lob goalkeeper Alfie Hadfield from 30 yards with a right foot effort that dipped just over the crossbar to safety.

Okunja was in action again minutes later when he played a ball into the feet of Cal Edwards on the edge of the penalty area who hit it first time with a left foot shot that sailed just wide of the post.

Heath gradually worked their way into the game with their first shot on target coming from Charlie Connell on 18 minutes but his long range left foot shot was gathered comfortably by Peacehaven goalkeeper James Broadbent.

A game changing moment came midway through the half when Brad Peters was harshly judged to have fouled Edwards in the penalty area, Connor Tighe stepped up to take the spot-kick but the normally assured striker fired his right foot shot high and wide of the goal and it remained 0-0 at the break.

Peacehaven were made to pay for those missed chances when Heath took the lead 6 minutes into the restart,

Charlie Connell received the ball in the centre of the park and played it wide right to Young who turned his marker and carried the ball inside before unleashing a left foot shot from 25 yards into the bottom right corner of the net with Broadbent at full stretch but unable to deny the Heath striker his first of the season.

Heath doubled their lead just 2 minutes later when Young received the ball wide on the right and just inside his own half and he played a first time pass straight down the middle of the playing field for Mason Doughty to run onto, the Heath striker outpaced his marker and tried to take the ball around Broadbent who managed to push it away with his left hand but played it straight into the path of Connell who struck a right foot shot into the net for his first ever goal for The Bears on his 53rd appearance.

Heath went on to control most of the second half play and added a third goal on 82 minutes and Connell was involved again.

This time he won the ball off a defender midway through the Peacehaven half, played a one-two with Louis Evans before playing a defence splitting pass to Doughty who struck a first time right foot shot from the edge of the penalty area that kept low and flew past the Peacehaven goalkeeper for his fourth league goal of the season in only 3 league matches.

MOM: Mason Doughty

Simmons said afterwards: “The first 25-30 minutes we moved the ball really well but the quality on the final ball wasn’t good enough to create a good goal scoring opportunity but Peacehaven looked really dangerous on the transitions and should of gone in front probably before the penalty, then to see Connor Tighe miss the penalty was a let off.

"But in the 2nd half we were much better and a lot more clinical, it wasn’t a 3-0 scoreline game but I think we did enough to earn the 3 points against a very good Peacehaven side.”

Broadbridge Heath are at home again this Saturday, September 5, against Merstham to the Air Engineering Stadium, Kick Off at 3pm.

BBH: Hadfield, Cotton, Royall (Terry 78), Connell, Peters, Salaam (Hyde 85), Yakubu (Solecki 71), Evans, Doughty, Hay (Church 83), Young (Bejashvili 78).