Broadbridge Heath win at Erith and Belvedere – then follow up with Sussex Cup win at Haywards Heath

There was just the one change to the Chi starting XI that lined up midweek and suffered a first league defeat against table toppers Three Bridges with Isaac Bello replacing Lee Seok-jae, who popped his shoulder in that loss.

This hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Chichester at Step 4 of the non-league football pyramid over the past couple of years and Miles Rutherford’s men were beaten by the odd goal in January games in both 2022 and 2023.

Emmett Dunn forged the opening opportunity latching on to a Steve Hutchings’ pass in the box after good work from right back Ryan Davidson. The Canadian had more time than he thought and dragged his effort wide off the mark. An inviting through ball to Omar Folkes at the other end was claimed by Chi keeper Kieran Magee on three minutes and Kiye Martin overhit his pass to Connor Tighe moments later.

Magee was forced into a fine save by Folkes after turning centre back Ben Pashley before Magee’s counterpart Matte Pierson dealt with Bello’s chance easily enough. Ryan Green and Alex Andrade Filipe broke down the left and the latter delivered a decent cross for Tighe but Folkes fouled Curtis Da Costa in the follow-up.

Then Rob Hutchings picked out Dunn as Chi pressed on 14 but Pierson got his angles right and the chance went begging. Chichester won a first corner a minute later which Ethan Prichard took and then he rattled the post off another player.

Rob Hutchings, Prichard and Conrad Honore combined at the mid-point for an attempt that was well off target before Martin and Filipe hooked up and earned a long throw-in only for the Wasps to give away a free-kick. Dominik Kaja replaced Cameron Reardon who hadn’t recovered from a knock sustained earlier and Prichard, trying to get a cross off, won a corner.

This was only half cleared and Da Costa was brought down in the penalty area. Referee Joshua Langley-Fineing had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Steve Hutchings dispatched his kick this time into the back of the net to give the visitors a 25th minute lead. Joe Clarke lost out almost immediately in midfield as Folkes, Filipe and Tighe broke and pulled an impressive stop out of Magee only for Tom Cadman to wildly misdirect the rebound.

Tighe forced Magee into a fine fingertip save on 31 but the ref didn’t think he’d touched it and awarded a goal kick. Steve Hutchings got on the end of his namesake’s cross seconds later and his shot nicked off a defender for a corner. Next, Dunn and Honore exchanged passes but the final one to Steve Hutchings was too strong.

Folkes got in one-on-one with Magee after a slick move, although the referee’s assistant’s flag went up for offside; Bello nodded on to Davidson down the right flank; Clarke mistimed another challenge and Walsh, unfortunately for the Grin Army, cracked one against an upright. Five or so before half time Filipe, a threat all afternoon, cut inside but Bello intervened and then Steve Hutchings and East Grinstead skipper Wilson were involved in a bit of a set-to.

Bello blasted Prichard’s delivery into the side netting in the 44th minute and Filipe whipped one across the face of the goal which no one could capitalise on. Chi attacked once more but after a determined drive the ball wouldn’t sit up to allow Clarke a firm connection, and both Prichard and Honore spurned opportunities.

Three good chances came and went for Chichester straight after the restart. Bello didn’t take advantage of the first one and Honore missed the follow up. Filipe then skipped past Davidson only for Da Costa and another teammate to clear and Honore fired a second effort in four minutes over the frame of the goal.

A super touch presented Prichard with an opportunity which Pierson got a glove on and Dunn couldn’t reach the subsequent deep corner kick. And then East Grinstead scored as Kaja played in Walsh and his hit went under Magee and inside the post.

Folkes might have put EG ahead following some pinball in the area and Mr Langlay-Fineing overruled the hosts’ appeals for a pen on 54 minutes. The ref though did book Folkes for hacking down Prichard before Honore struck another high and wide on the hour. Filipe did Davidson again but Tighe was offside as he looked to pull the trigger.

Next, Clarke lifted one over the crossbar; Magee denied Filipe’s excellent effort with an equally excellent save; and Walsh’s fierce shot flew wide. Cadman then saw his drive steered out for a corner which was delivered by Martin towards the far stick. Only a superb well-timed tackle prevented Prichard getting in and a mistake from Green gave Steve Hutchings a chance to shoot but the ball wouldn’t curl enough.

A long Kaja throw caused Chi some problems but they cleared their lines and how the ref didn’t think Davidson was fouled on 78 was beyond most of the travelling fans. Olly Munt replaced Honore in the 83rd minute before Steve Hutchings’ header did little to trouble Pierson. Da Costa’s challenge denied Martin two minutes later and Pierson got a glove of sorts on Prichard’s shot and then a stonewall penalty was overlooked as Prichard was clattered in the area.

Clarke did well up against Filipe with a minute of normal time to go and Pierson gathered Munt’s headed attempt. The hosts won a couple of nerve-wracking corners late on which were cleared; Martin fired tamely at goal; and Pashley’s long-ranger on 93 seemed destined to ripple the back of the net but it fizzed narrowly wide.

So, it’s four wins, two draws and one loss in the league for third-placed Chi who are away to Newhaven in the County Cup on Tuesday (October 17) and next have an Isthmian south east ‘home’ game against fellow high-flyers Sittingbourne at Bognor’s MKM Arena on Saturday.

Chichester: Magee, Davidson, Rob Hutchings, Clarke, Da Costa, Pashley, Bello, Dunn, Steve Hutchings, Honore, Prichard. Subs – (Moore, Horncastle, O’Brien, Munt, Mohamed.

Erith & Belvedere 1 Broadbridge Heath 2

There was another new ground for the Heath supporters to visit when they travelled to play Erith & Belvedere who share facilities with National League side Welling United. It still seems strange going the wrong way to away games after 41 years of playing in the Southern Combination League but it’s an enjoyable experience nonetheless especially when they come home with all three points.

Heath made a good start to the match and took an early lead on 10 minutes when Jake Lindsay linked up with Louis Evans down the right before the midfield player crossed the ball to the far post, where Sam Lemon struck a low right foot shot wide of Jordan Perrin to give his side the lead.

Mutongerwa, cutting in from the right, then picked out Lindsay inside the hosts penalty area but his right foot shot from 16 yards was blocked by a defender and the follow up went tamely through to Perrin who gathered comfortably.

The home-side gradually got into the game with Chris Dickson slicing his shot wide of goal when well placed but the Dere’s forward made amends on 26 minutes when he chested down a cross from the right and struck a right foot shot from outside the penalty area that flew past Heath keeper Roshan Greensall and it remained all square at the break.

Heath started the second half well with Lindsay forcing Perrin into a save at his near post in the opening minute and two corners played into the danger area caused the hosts a few problems.

Once again the hosts gradually found some rhythm but were restricted mainly to shots from distance which only really troubled the passing traffic on the A207 that was until midway through the half when Greensall made a brilliant save low to his right to deny Dickson.

The winning goal came in the 82nd minute when Mason Doughty intercepted a pass wide on the right, he played it forward to Mario Quiassaca who took a touch into the Deres’ penalty area and then drilled a low right foot shot past Perrin for his first goal of the season.

MOM: Lewis Scally

Heath boss Chris Simmons said afterwards: “The lads were fantastic today, it’s a tough place to go and Win and at times we really needed to dig in and defend but when we broke we did it with real pace and looked like scoring every time.”

It was good day for the Bears winning their second away match of the season but thoughts turn to the Sussex Senior Cup on Tuesday with a tough trip to play Haywards Heath Town.

BBH: Greensall, Scally, Chesworth (Frankland 59), Weller, Bromage, Brackpool, Penfold, Evans, Mutongerwa (Quiassaca 54), Lemon (Doughty 82), Lindsey.

Haywards Heath Town 1 Broadbridge Heath 2

Sussex Senior Cup R2

Heath manager Chris Simmons made six changes to the starting line-up for this tie at Hanbury Park in midweek.

One of those changes certainly paid off when Charlie Weller, wide on the right, played the ball inside to Andy Waddingham who struck a right foot curler from 25 yards that nestled into the top right corner of the net, a superb strike by the Heath luminary.

Minutes later a combination of passes between Waddingham and Quiassaca ended with a ball played into Faris Khallouqi on the edge of the box, the midfielder turned one way then the other before striking a left foot shot just wide of the post and shortly after Mason Doughty tried his luck with a left foot shot from distance that went wide of target.

Heath’s second followed six minutes before half-time when Jack Frankland won the ball on the halfway line and played it forward to Quiassaca in acres of space, the Heath striker ran towards the goal, dribbled around a defender who’d come across to intercept and then rifled a right foot shot over the advancing keeper into the net, 2-0 at the break.

The home side pulled a goal back 3 minutes into the restart under somewhat controversial circumstances when new signing Lewis Finney, making his season debut, appeared to handle the ball on the edge of the penalty area. Heath players protests were ignored by the officials as Finney went on to drill a low right foot shot past Greensall to reduce the deficit.

Neither side created much after that with the Bears comfortably holding out to win the round and move into the last 16, where a home draw against Brighton & Hove Albion or Horsham would be quite nice.

MoM: Jack Frankland

Simmons said: “We were excellent in the first half and should have been more clear at half time but for whatever reason we were terrible in the 2nd half and just didn’t get going, but credit to Haywards Heath who were excellent and I am sure will go on to have a great season.”

Next up Heath welcome promotion favourites Ramsgate this Saturday.

BBH: Greensall, Frankland, Zabade, Weller, Bromage, Brackpool, Khallouqi (H.Webster 85), Waddingham (Penfold 60), Quiassaca (Berry 66), Doughty (Lemon 74), Lindsey (Campbell 67).

Herne Bay 3 Lancing 1

Isthmian south east

Another Lukas Franzen-Jones goal proved only a consolation as the Lancers lost in Kent.

Boss Dave Altendorff changed the Lancing formation, fielding a strong midfield which included Charlie Bennett and Sam Bull alongside Andrew Briggs and George Taggart, who seemed to have a free role to get forward in support of front man Lukas Franzen-Jones, and Alex Laing occupying a position wide on the left.

Charlie Gibson was back in at left-back.

Lancing were hit by two goals in two minutes just after the quarter-hour.

Laing was dispossessed by Mike Salako who motored into space and finished with a shot which deceived Alieu Secka, swerving from left to right, possibly via a slight deflection.

Two minutes later, Lancing lost control playing the ball out and Gil Carvalho managed to evade Secka and turn the ball in from a tight angle.

At least the half ended on a positive note for Lancing. MoM Taggart floated a ball over the top of the Bay back line, Bennett managed to urn it towards goal and the ball came off keeper Brooks, falling invitingly for Franzen-Jones to apply the finishing touch.

Franzen-Jones had a chance to make it 2-2 but the Lancing bubble was burst 12 minutes into the second half.

A break down the right ended with a cross to the far post, and Tom Hanfrey had advanced unnoticed and was perfectly positioned to sidefoot the ball home.

There were no complaints about the result. Lancing were guilty of giving the ball away too often, by being quickly closed down, and of failing to ensure accuracy in their passing.

There were some positives, in the first half mainly, with some good attacking support shown from full-backs Gibson and Jacob Thompson.