Burgess Hill nearly pull off a Rams raid - and beat Broadbridge Heath in Velocity Trophy

Managers Gary Mansell and Jay Lovett made four changes with Bobby Price, Lewis Taylor, Ben Pope and Ollie Davies, who hit a brace last weekend, coming in.

Hillians were without big defender Nathan Cooper who was away.

Visiting Hill started brightly in Kent as Stefan Vukoje whipped a great ball in and Ben Pope got across his man and turned it goalwards but it was saved by Tom Hadler in the Rams goal. Soon after Ollie Davies won the ball back high and Kieran Rowe whipped it in and it fell to Pope who hit the bar.

At the other end the Rams had a huge chance as Hill gave it straight to the prolific Joe Taylor but he scuffed wide. Taylor again missed the target before the Hillians took the lead when Pope beat Myles Judd for pace and strength and got to the byeline and cut it back for Davies to tuck home.

Things got even better for the Hillians 10 minutes later as they doubled their lead. Skipper Brannon O’Neill whipped in a corner and Alex Malins thundered a bullet header into the back of the net for his first Hillians goal.

High flying Ramsgate were in danger of losing their 100% record and looked to get straight back into it, which they did. The dangerous Taylor had his back to goal, but span and rifled a left footed shot across Slav Huk and into the net for 2-1.

Hill nearly got a third as Davies almost got in but he just couldn’t beat Hadler to the ball. The hosts had a dangerous shot fly just over on the stroke of half-time as the Hill went in at the break in the lead.

On 57 minutes the Rams got themselves level when they were awarded a penalty. Taylor stepped up and scored his second of the game and his tenth of the league season.

Hillians had a half chance minutes later as a long ball dropped to O’Neill on the volley but he thundered it just over.

It was end to end and the Rams nearly took the lead in the 70th minute in an almighty scramble but the ball didn’t go in. At the other end O’Neill whipped in a free kick which was just an inch ahead of Vukoje at the far stick.

Huk made a terrific save to keep the scores level when he saved a header. On 86 minutes Hill broke when sub Joe Overy burst down the right and he found Chris Whelpdale who hit an effort just over.

Huk again came to Hill’s rescue with a couple of crucial saves late on and the Hillians ended Rams 100% winning league record and took an excellent point back to Mid Sussex.

Hill: Slav Huk, Bobby Price, Hamish Morrison, Brannon O’Neill, Lewis Taylor, Alex Malins, Stefan Vukoje, Kieran Rowe, Ben Pope (Alex Brewer 74), Chris Whelpdale, Ollie Davies (Joe Overy 74). Subs not used: Elliott Bresciani, Marcus Allen, Reggie Ward.

Hill host Broadbridge Heath this evening (Tuesday 30th) in the Velocity Trophy.

Erith Town 1-0 Broadbridge Heath

Isthmian south east

This was Heath’s first ever match against the Dockers from Erith Town, who play their home games at the Stanmore Stadium, former home of Thamesmead Town FC.

The hosts won promotion last season via the play-offs having finished in fourth place in the Southern Counties East Premier division.

Heath manager Chris Simmons was forced to make five changes to his starting line-up which included a welcome return to goalkeeper Alfie Hadfield having missed the previous six weeks through injury, but it wasn’t the start Hadfield hoped for as he found himself picking the ball out the back of the net within minutes of the start.

The hosts had a great start when a foul was given wide on the left some three yards from the halfway line. The resulting free-kick was launched diagonally across to the right where Thomas Ash stuck out his right boot to steer the ball inside to Harry Taylor, who turned sharply to hit a right foot shot from just inside the penalty area. Hadfield saved well low to his right but the ball went straight up in the air and on to the head of Ollie Milton who nodded it home from a yard.

Heath gradually got into the game and Charlie Parmiter tried his luck with a shot from distance when he cut inside from the left to hit a right foot shot wide of the post.

The Bears had a let-off on 17 minutes when a corner from the left was cleared to Jarome Jayaguru, who struck a left foot shot from 22 yards that came off the left post and straight into the path of Milton, who returned a right foot shot from 12 yards straight at Hadfield, who cleared the danger.

Heath’s best chance of the half came on 31 minutes when Louis Evans linked up with Matt Hay to play in Stan Berry, making a welcome return the Bears from Lancing, but his left foot shot from 18 yards lacked power and was gathered comfortably by Nathan Edwards the Erith goalkeeper. And 5 minutes later a Dowdell corner from the left was met by a powerful header from Heath skipper Kyle Sim but the ball flew high over the crossbar and the stand behind the goal.

Minutes after the restart a foul on Louis Evans some 25 yards from goal gave Callum Dowdell an opportunity to test the Erith goalkeeper from the free-kick but his right foot effort flew wide of target.

At the other end a Dockers corner from the right saw the ball ping around the Heath penalty area before coming out to Hayden Bullas who rifled in a right foot shot towards the goal which Sean Terry headed over the bar to safety.

On 55 minutes a Sim long throw from the left caused problem in the Erith defence with Louis Evans receiving the loose ball which he took to the goal-line and hammered a left foot shot goalwards which was blocked on the post by Edwards and deflected out for a corner.

Midway through the half Thomas Ash received the ball wide on the left on the halfway line and the Erith player ran at the Heath defence up to the penalty area before playing the ball out wide to team-mate Andrew Dythe who hit a fierce left foot shot straight at Hadfield.

Simmons said afterwards: “We keep making the same mistakes and it can’t continue, we just haven’t been good enough in either penalty area, everything in between has been okay but our quality in the final third has been poor and then we keep making defensive mistakes.”

Next up for Broadbridge Heath is a trip to Burgess Hill Town for a Velocity Cup match tonight (Tuesday 30th, 7.30pm).

Heath: Hadfield, Sim (Pickering 86), Terry, Buchanan, Bromage, Marino, Dowdell (Lindsey 79), Parmiter (Doughty 63), Evans, Hay, Berry ( Croal 62).

Burgess Hill Town 1 Broadbridge Heath 1

Velocity Trophy

(Hill win 4-3 on pens)

A much changed Burgess Hill Town side defeated Broadbridge Heath on penalties to progress in the Velocity Trophy

Managers Gary Mansell and Jay Lovett made nine changes for the second round tie and included 11 under-18s in the 16 man squad. The visitors put a strong side out making only two changes from their last game.

Hillians had the first chance on three minutes when Alex Brewer was set through. He looked to chip William Eastwood but it was just over. Soon after from a corner Marcus Allen, on his return from a long term injury, got his head to a corner but it flashed wide.

Hill continued to have chances and on 17 minutes Brewer got on the end of a defensive error but a Bears defender got back to clear off the line, before Marcel Powell’s rebound was tipped away by Eastwood.

On the stroke of half-time the visitors took the lead as Callum Dowdell cut in and sent a screamer into the top corner for a half-time 1-0 lead to the Bears.

The visitors had an early chance to double their lead but it was tipped behind for a corner by debutant U18s keeper Sonni Nealgrove. Two minutes later at the other end Reggie Ward almost equalised with a goal of the season contender as Eastwood punched a corner to the full back, he hit it sweetly on the volley but it crashed off the bar.

Hill got themselves on level terms on 62 minutes courtesy of veteran Lewis Taylor. The player / assistant manager was played in from a lovely ball and he rounded Eastwood and slotted home.

The game was on its way to penalties when Broadbridge Heath were a whisker away from winning the tie. They smashed a drive off the inside of the post and across the goal but not in.

Hillians won the shootout 4-3 to go through with Brannon O’Neill, Koby Farrell, Lewis Taylor and Ollie Davies scoring. Keeper Nealgrove made an excellent save in the shoutout as the Hill went through and will now face an away trip to Merstham in the next round.

Hill: Sonni Nealgrove, Reggie Ward, Samuel Forbes-Parker (Henry Yorke-Johnson 75), Dylan Hurst (Koby Farrell 80), Brannon O’Neill, Marcus Allen, Joe Overy (Charlie Bonwick-Adams 69), Lewis Taylor, Alex Brewer (Damien Theodore 69), Noah Hoffman, Marcel Powell (Ollie Davies 82).