Burgess Hill to face Leatherhead in FA Trophy after winning replay
Hill made two changes from Saturday’s fixture with Greg Luer being rested and Rob O’Toole starting on the bench and Starts for Dan Perry and Lee Harding.
The conditions didn’t make things easy for both sides on a very heavy pitch but a half chance fell to Darren Budd but he was unable to get a shot off after Neil watts found him with a cross and two minutes few minutes later Folkestone had their first chance when Jon Pilbeam was found with a ball over the top but his shot was well saved by Josh James. Lee Harding was causing problems down the Left and he saw his header go just wide after another Neil watts cross found him inside the box and just a minute later Dan Perry forced the home keeper Tim Roberts to save at his near post. Neil Watts constant runs down the hill right saw him being set up by Darren Budd but his powerful shot went just over from 25 Yards out, the next fifteen minutes were fairly even for both sides with no real chances being created until Jon Pilbeam had two good great chances just before the break his first saw him make a good run into the box but he couldn’t find a shot and ran the ball out and then he made an identical run and this time hit a low shot towards goal but it was blocked and put out for a corner. The Last chance of the half fell to Hill when another Neil Watts cross was headed clear but fell to Darren Budd who hit his shot just over the bar.
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Hide AdFolkestone started the second half with a more direct approach and pressed straight from the start and just two minutes in Paul booth found himself with a free header at the far post but he put it wide, Folkestone carried on applying the pressure but didn’t create any clear cut chances and it wasn’t until sixty two minutes that Hill had their first chance when a Budd corner was headed goal bound by Neil Watts but his effort hit Hill’s Dan Perry on the line and went clear. Folkestone could have opened the scoring on sixty five minutes when the lively Pilbeam flashed a cross into the box but Josh James was alert and gathered the ball before a home striker could react. Ian Chapman made a change on sixty six minutes when he replaced Darren Budd with Rob O’Toole and straight away Hill took the lead when Dan Perry found himself one on one with the keeper and he smashed the ball home to give hill a one nil lead Perry could of added a second when he found himself in an identical position but this time the home keeper Roberts got a hand to the ball and put it wide for a corner. Folkestone pushed Frankie Chappell up front from defence and played a very direct game pushing for an equaliser, Josh James showed real class on Eighty minutes when he pulled off two fantastic saves the first when Chappell found himself inside the six yard box but James saved at his feet and then when everyone in the ground thought Paul Booth was going to score with a free header from again inside the six yard box but again Josh denied Folkestone an equaliser. Stuart Tuck was introduced in the last five minutes to help out the defence and under real pressure and a number of corners Hill were able to stand firm and earn a home draw against Leatherhead at home in the next round.