Broadbridge Heath toast FA Vase and SCFL victories

LEWISHAM BOROUGH 1-3 BROADBRIDGE HEATH – FA Vase

For some reason Heath never do well in this competition having lost at the first attempt in each of the last 3 years to lower league opposition, in fact Heath haven’t won a game in the FA Vase since we last played Lewisham Borough back in 2018 so we were hoping a repeat of that performance would help turn our fortunes this year.

Heath were again missing a host of players with Jamie Taylor, Renato Carvalho and Jack Frankland joining the long list of injuries but there was still plenty of quality in the players who came into the side.

The hosts had the first attempt at goal on 7 minutes when a shot from distance was gathered comfortably by Jasper Sheik. While for Heath Ben Cooksley muscled his way past two defenders to bare down on goal but his rasping right foot shot from the edge of the penalty area crashed against the post with the keeper well beaten.

Heath took the lead on the half hour mark when Andy Waddingham sent Sam Lemon off down the left flank, the striker crossed the ball low into the box and Lewis Croal came running in at the far post to rifle a right foot shot into the roof of the net to make it 1-0 at the break.

Heath doubled their lead on the hour when Croal received the ball on the edge of the penalty area and played a back heel pass to Sam Lemon who went on to net his debut goal for The Bears.

That goal should have been enough to have won the game but instead it seemed to spur the home side on who were suddenly chasing everything, putting pressure on the Heath defence and they deservedly pulled a goal back 15 minutes later.

Now it was getting interesting with Heath on the back foot and Borough pushing everyone forward searching for that all important equaliser, two or three goalmouth scrambles followed as Heath struggled to clear their lines but on 83 minute came a chance to restore the lead and ease the pressure when Ben Cooksley was brought down in the penalty area.

Lewis Croal stepped up to take the spot kick but drove the ball straight at the keeper, luckily enough Croal reacted quickest to drill the rebound into the net and make it 3-1 to win the game.

Not a great performance by the Bears but finally a win in the competition which will see them play a home match against Erith & Belvedere in the 2nd Qualifying Round on the 24th September.

MOM; Was Lewis Croal

Team: Sheik, Terry, Chesworth, Brackpool, Sim, Waddingham, Weller (Clark 63), Evans (H Mark 80), Cooksley, Croal, Lemon (M McCormick 75).

BROADBRIDGE HEATH 2-1 ALFOLD – SCFL premier

The first of four home local derby games saw Alfold arrive on Bank Holiday Monday for a 11.00 kick off. The visitors were still seeking their first win of the season while The Bears were hoping to continue their good start to the season by taking all three points.

Early pressure from Heath resulted in a corner on the right which Jamie Chesworth delivered with accuracy onto the head of Kyle Sim but the defenders header went just wide of the left post. Chesworth was involved again on 9 minutes when a cross from the left was played into the area to Sam Lemon but the striker missed his shot and the ball went through to the Alfold keeper.

At times the game looked like a training session with attack against defence with The Bears on the front foot but unable to break down a solid Alfold defence marshalled by the experienced Clive Pillar. That’s not to say the visitors didn’t have their own chances and Heath keeper Jasper Sheik had to be alert to deny Kelvin Lucas on 18 minutes when a counter attack saw Lucas rifle in a low right foot shot from 20 yards which Sheik saved well low to his right.

The best chance of the half came on the half hour when a deep free kick from was floated into the Alfold penalty area where Ryan Brackpool headed it down to Lemon but the striker put the chance high and wide of target and it remained 0-0 at the break.

The second half started the same as the first with some good approach play but unable to break down that solid Fold defence but that all changed on 51 minutes with the old Route One, a long kick from Sheik straight down the middle of the park saw Lemon shake of his marker, the ball bounced once on the edge of the box and Lemon smashed it with a right foot shot past the keeper for his first league goal of the season.

Heath soon made it 2-0 on 79 minutes with a classy finish by Sean Terry who received the ball wide on the right and went on an amazing run to dribble past five defenders into the box before hitting a left foot shot into the bottom left corner, a quality goal from the Heath defender.

Heath continued to create some really good chances but the finishing was lacking and with 5 minutes remaining the visitors pulled one back when a long free kick was played to the edge of the penalty area to an Alfold player who flicked it on to Callum Kilkenny, his effort was smothered by Sheik but the ball flew into the path of Chesworth and off the defender for an own goal.

Would Heath come to regret all those missed chances, the answer to that was no as the game ended without any more goal scoring opportunities for either side.

So The Bears pick up the points and move to the heady heights of 3rd in the division and for the visitors, no points today but I’m sure it won’t be long before they too start picking up the points.

MOM ; Was Sam Lemon

Simmo Said; Two good results but both very average performances from us, Lewisham was a difficult surface and another very hot day but no excuse’s we were just below par!, the Alfold game was frustrating because we knew what the game would be like but we didn’t move the ball fast enough. But 3 points and an FA Vase win is what we set out for so now we move onto Crawley down on Saturday

Team: Sheik, Terry (Young 80), Chesworth, Clark (J.Buchanan 56), Sim, Brackpool, Weller, Evans (Carvalho 46), Croal (Symonds 75), Blake (H.Mark 72), Lemon.