Haywards Heath Town and Burgess Hill Town take heart despite results of 2023 openers

Heath were unfortunate not to take a point from their visit to high-flying Whitehawk, who needed a late winner at The Enclosed Ground on bank holiday Monday to maintain their promotion push.

A couple of hours earlier Jay Lovett’s Hillians had clinched a point with a gritty display in a forgettable Sussex derby of their own, at Three Bridges. See Eva Gilbert’s match gallery here.

In a very tight bottom half of the Isthmian south east table Hill are 11th and Heath 17th – yet just one point separates them.

Burgess Hill visit fifth-placed Ashford on Saturday while Heath host VCD, who are ninth.

Heath have looked solid since Alex Walsh and Dale Hurley took over as joint managers just before Christmas following Martin Dynan's departure.

And Walsh was pleased with the effort the Blues put in against the Hawks.

"We pushed a side who share the second best form at home and are in the play-off places,” Walsh said.

"We are gutted not to have come away with something, but the effort from the group was brilliant.

"We took an early lead (through Alahady Jalloh) and had a couple more chances to punish them – this is where we must improve as a group.

"It’s rewarding to see us creating these chances; however we know that converting these will improve our points tally.

"After Whitehawk had equalised they did create and look threatening and deserved to be level at half time.

"The game was very end to end after that – they were unlucky hitting the post, and we hit the bar.

"But it wasn’t our day and was theirs as they scored in the final minute.

"We are improving and going strength to strength and look forward to our next game on Saturday.

"VCD again will be a tough encounter and we will have to be at our best to collect the three points at home.

"No players are injured for this and we have added Luca Valentine and Jaden Owusu-Nepaul to the squad.”

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