Haywards Heath Town beat East Grinstead to make perfect Isthmian start

Shaun Saunders' new-look Haywards Heath Town got off to a winning start in their Isthmian League South-East Division campaign as they beat Sussex rivals, East Grinstead Town by three unanswered goals in front of a gate of 308.
Haywards  Heath;s Jerson Dos Santos and two-goal Gil Carvalho caused East Grinstead Town problems / Picture: Tony SimHaywards  Heath;s Jerson Dos Santos and two-goal Gil Carvalho caused East Grinstead Town problems / Picture: Tony Sim
Haywards Heath;s Jerson Dos Santos and two-goal Gil Carvalho caused East Grinstead Town problems / Picture: Tony Sim

It was the hosts who opened by far the brightest, with man of the match, Gil Carvalho, firing wide on 2 minutes, and Kieran Rowe was unlucky to see his shot deflected on to the bar a few minutes later. The visitors came to life on 11 minutes, when they broke dangerously, the lively Bailey-King ending the move by firing straight at Billy Collings but he hosts opened the scoring on 19 minutes.

A deep free-kick from the left wing was met by Nathan Cooper who cleverly headed back across the goal where his centre-back partner, Tom Gilbert, bundled the ball in, off the post. Apart from a six-man skirmish just before the break, there wasn't too much more goalmouth action to excite the crowd.

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The second period followed the same pattern as the first, with the home club well in command but still in need of that second goal. It arrived on 56 minutes, as a low cross from Tom Cadman was smashed home by fan favourite, Gil Carvalho.

On this day, there was quite a gulf between the two sides and this was accentuated deep into added time as Carvalho got Haywards Heath's third, and his second, as he broke free from his markers to give a more realistic and worthy scoreline.

Heath boss Saunders was pragmatic after the game: " It was the start we wanted, it's great to be under way and I thought we looked okay. We were positive, we knocked it about well at times and I felt it was a dominating and entertaining performance for the crowd. The players loved the noise and singing that came from the kids from our youth wing. We go to Lancing in the FA Cup next, then two very, very tough league games follow that but, we are on our way and I'm more than happy with our start."

The Blues travel to Lancing next Saturday in the FA Cup.

Blues Star man: Gil CARVALHO

Att : 308