Fine season, fun ending: Burgess Hill Town beat Cray Wanderers to close campaign
Despite having nothing to play for but pride, Burgess Hill showed plenty of good signs during their 4-2 season finale win against Cray Wanderers in the Isthmian Premier on Saturday.
Leylands Park had a party atmosphere that had started well before kick-off with live music and free drinks for any early arrivals, but the good vibes were at risk of being ruined however when Ola Ogunwamide danced through four Burgess Hill players before slotting the opener after only seven minutes.
The celebrations soon resumed as George Vorster burst in behind the Wanderers defence, putting away the equaliser only two minutes later.
Vorster wasn’t done, however, as Jake Kings found him with an unbelievable diagonal pass and the young winger drifted past the Cray defence, got it on to his left foot and passed the ball into the back of the net with 23 minutes gone.
Goals were plentiful in the first half and Wanderers soon found their way back level after being awarded a penalty, with Alex Hernandez sending Michael Dike the wrong way to level after 26 minutes.
The Hill were able to establish some control after an electric start and captain Kieran Rowe put his side in front once again with an audacious half volley lashed straight into the top corner in the 34th minute while the opposition keeper was rooted to the spot – a goal certainly fitting of the final day celebrations.
The only thing that could have spurred the Hillian crowd on further was exactly what followed … in the same week as captaining the U18s to a league cup win, Jake King met Kaan Bennett’s cutback at the back post to nod in his first senior goal in the 39th minute.
The Hill went on to dominate the ball throughout the second half and despite no further goals coming, they were able to see out a convincing result on the final day.
Sponsors Medical Travel Compared picked Vorster as MoM.
This result caps an unbelievable season for Burgess Hill, which started with plenty of doubters from the outside. Not only was relegation avoided, it wasn’t even part of the conversation for the majority of the season. An eighth-place finish is a stellar result for a first season back in the division and ensures the team will be taken more seriously going into the next campaign.
The season finale at the MTC brought in a huge crowd of 1,038, a fitting attendance to end a season which saw the crowds break the thousand mark five times.
As Hill reflect, the stats show Hamish Morrison made the most appearances in all competitions with 45, while Vorster’s brace on the final day cemented his place as Hill’s top goalscorer with 15 – which was only one more than Chris Whelpdale’s tally.
Hill: Michael Dike, Hamish Morrison, Reggie Ward, Glen Rea, Josh Spinks, Alex Malins, George Vorster (Jay Beckford 78), Kieran Rowe, Chris Whelpdale (Ben Pope 79), Jake King (Harry Lawson 46), Kaan Bennett. Subs not used: Jack Burchell, Ben Parkinson.