Broadbridge Heath soaring after latest Isthmian win – Roffey need one point for SCFL Division 1 title

Merstham 0-1 Broadbridge Heath

Isthmian south east division

When the two sides met at The BodyMould Stadium two months ago the game ended in a thrilling 6-6 draw but conditions on the day were atrocious with high gusty winds and heavy rain. It was certainly an entertaining match for the supporters, would the rematch at Merstham be equally entertaining?

The game got off to a slow start but that all changed on 9 minutes when Heath’s Matt Penfold was harshly judged to have committed a foul on Lee Lewis in the ‘D’ just outside the penalty area, Lewis got up to take the resulting free-kick and drilled a low right foot shot that was heading into the bottom left corner of the net before a superb diving save by Heath goalkeeper George Evans stopped it on the line and Penfold cleared away the danger.

Minutes later the action was at the other end when Jamie Buchanan sent Mason Doughty through on goal and the Heath striker hit a right foot shot that Merstham keeper Endurance Johnson did equally as well pushing the ball away for a corner.

The Buchanan/Doughty link combined again midway through the half when Doughty was brought down by Dean Gunner just outside the ‘D’; Jamie Chesworth stepped up to take the free-kick and drilled a low left foot shot under the diving Johnson into the bottom left corner, another classic strike from the Heath defender.

The hosts reacted well with Evans forced into another good save on 25 minutes from Tobi Ogundega firing in a low shot through a crowded penalty area, and minutes later a cross from the left saw Korrey Henry rise above the Heath defence to head just wide of the post.

The home-side were awarded another free kick on 30 minutes with Lewis again stepping up to take the kick which struck a defender and flew just wide of the post. The pressure continued with Henry going close with a right foot effort from distance that flew just over the Heath crossbar.

The Bears were still looking a threat on the counter-attack and a corner was won from one such move; Chesworth taking the kick from the right which was headed just wide of the target by Tad Bromage but the ball was soon back at the other end for a Merstham corner, taken by Lamont and swung in to Dean Gunner who powered a header goalwards which was saved by Evans at the near post.

A couple of minutes later and a case of the old “Route One football” almost worked for the hosts when a long kick straight down the middle from Johnson was flicked on by Henry’s header into the path of Lewis, who maybe took it a touch too wide but he powered in a fierce left foot shot which Evans again saved at the post.

Despite the Merstham pressure Heath almost made it 2-0 in the 38th minute when Louis Evans received the ball wide on the right outside of the hosts penalty area and played it inside to Charlie Parmiter who laid it off first time to Penfold to strike a pile-driver from 30 yards that had Johnson at full stretch to show his class with a superb diving save but somehow the score remained 1-0 at half-time.

No surprise that the second half did not live up to the excitement of the first with both sides far more conservative in their approach and both defences looking far more solid.

The hosts best chance of the half came on 80 minutes when Charlie Greenwood got behind the Heath defence then drilled his shot into the side netting and for Heath, Kyle Sim headed inches over the crossbar from a Buchanan left sided corner.

So another really entertaining match between the two sides, unsurprisingly George Evans was awarded the Man Of The Match for his outstanding first half performance.

Heath boss Chris Simmons said afterwards: “The lads responded brilliantly to losing Saturday and gave us everything, George was fantastic in the first half and kept us in it but then their keeper equally made two very good saves, it was another close game that we edged, a few months ago I don’t think we get that result but we have come a long way since January.”

Horndean visit the BodyMould Stadium on Saturday, April 6, 3pm.

BBH: G. Evans, Sim, Chesworth, Penfold, Bromage, Brackpool, Lindsey (Dowdell 64), Buchanan, L. Evans, Parmiter (Lemon 83), Doughty.

Billingshurst 1-5 Roffey

SCFL Div 1

With just five points needed to confirm Roffey as champions, they journeyed to Steyning to play their away fixture with Billingshurst on a day when very little football was played on grass. The Boars started fast and George Cousins was put through to skillfully round Ollie Courtney in the home goal and open the scoring in the sixth minute.

Three minutes later a wonderful pass from Morgan Prill put Terrell Joseph through and as Courtney came out he slipped the ball to Cousins who claimed his second.

Roffey continued to dominate possession but Billingshurst looked lively on the break. On 17 minutes Tom Tolfrey turned on the edge of the box and fired in a shou that Courtney got a hand to but could not keep it out. After this the hosts began to get more into the game and Claudio Boakye in the Boars goal was called into some fairly routine action. Courtney made a couple of important saves to keep his team in the game HT 0-3

The second half started slowly with neither side threatening. Then Courtney went full length to deny Cousins and pulled off a great stop when he tipped Tolfrey’s close range shot onto the bar.

However after an hour he was left helpless as Mark Bevan curled a fantastic free kick into the top corner to sow the game up. There was still time for a classy 45 yard chip from Tom Lyons to make it five for the Boars and Jacob Aichroth to produce a good finish at the far post for a Billingshurst consolation. Stoppage time saw both teams come close to increasing the scoring with Boakye making two good saves and Courtney again showing what a good young talent he is.

Dorking Wanderers B 1 – 1 Roffey

SCFL Division 1

It was on to Meadowbank for an Easter Monday morning kick off with the Boars knowing that a win against second place Dorking would give them the title. Wanderers started well and had the visitors penned back for the first couple of minutes with their wide players looking sharp.

But gradually Roffey started to get their game going. Cousins shot wide and Tolfrey’s header just cleared the bar. Roffey were now looking in control but everything changed on 29 minutes when, having been fouled, Scott Faber was given a straight red card for his retaliation.

Going down to ten men against Dorking’s talented young side on their 3g surface is certainly not ideal but the Boars had no further alarms before the break and thought that Wanderers should also have lost a man when Tolfrey was put through only to be pulled back on the edge of the box with only the keeper to beat.

The referee gave the free kick but ruled that Tolfrey was not certain to reach the ball and so it was not a definite goalscoring chance.

Jack Munday brought on skipper Ricardo Fernandes at half time and Roffey set up to force Wanderers to play in front of them and then break quickly. This appeared to be effective with the only threat coming from a couple of free kicks. Unfortunately a third kick conceded around the box was dispatched over the wall by Zach Cahusac to give the hosts the lead after 67 minutes. However two minutes later Roffey were awarded a free kick in a similar position at the other end and Devon Fender drilled his shot under a jumping wall and into the bottom corner to bring the sides level.

The rest of the game saw both sides going for the win with Roffey stopping Dorking getting behind them and countering with Fernades, Cousins and then sub Kelvin Lucas. Fernandes came closest to getting the winner when making a run in behind the home defence only to be thwarted by some excellent goalkeeping by Harry Charlesworth.

At the other end Wanderers had a shot from outside the box clip the bar. Neither side was setting for a draw with Roffey so close to the championship and Dorking knowing that they had played against ten men for over an hour. In the last minute, Salvatore Federico Marino was dismissed for shoving Jake Le Grange in the face and bundling him to the ground.

In the end both sides had to settle for a point from a game that had never been particularly dirty or ill tempered and although still one point shy of their goal, Roffey should be proud of their disciplined display playing with a man short against the team directly below them in the league.

Roffey visit Arundel in the league on Saturday knowing one point will seal the title.