Freitas pleased with Billingshurst's display after draw with Seaford Town halts losing run

Billingshurst boss Luis Freitas was pleased that his side's second half display helped 'Hurst halt their losing run after their 1-1 draw with Seaford Town. Picture by Kate Shemilt.

The hosts opened the scoring in the first half through Jamie Strong before ‘Hurst hit back in the second half thanks to topscorer Jordan Stallibrass.

The result halted their run of two consecutive league defeats and sees them now lay in 12th in Division One.

Freitas said: “In many ways it was a very good result bearing in mind we had a number of key players injured and we struggled to get options on the bench.

“After what was a scrappy but even first half, and again conceding a poor goal, we were by far the better side in the second dominating large parts of the game and once we equalised we should have taken all three points.

“Defensively we were much more solid in the second half with Tom Bradshaw having an excellent game and Conor Blanchard, our reserve goalkeeper, doing himself a great deal of credit.”

Seaford took the lead on 21 minutes as Strong found the net but the first half was low in quality as the hosts went in at the half ahead.

The second half was a more even affair with both sides carving out chances but ‘Hurst bagged the equaliser on 62 minutes. A good attacking move from ‘Hurst found Stallibrass who put the ball home to net his sixth league goal of the season.

There was still time for both sides to find a winner but it wasn’t to be as neither team could convert their chances meaning the sides shared the points.

Billingshurst host Pagham on Tuesday evening in the third round of the Sussex RUR Charity Cup (k.o. 7:30pm) and Freitas is expecting a ‘tough challenge’

He added: “Pagham will be a very tough challenge, the last time we played them in the cup we lost 5-0.

“I will be mixing it up as we have a very important game Saturday, but will still go out to win as always and hopefully give them a real challenge.”

'Hurst then travel to Hailsham Town in the second round of the Division 1 Challenge Cup on Saturday.

Billingshurst: Blanchard, Bryant, Simester, Dugamin, Bradshaw, Rendall, Boateng, De Oliviera Canom, Stallibrass, Touahri, Spiers.