Broadbridge Heath progress to cup semi-final

Broadbridge Heath 2-1 Mile Oak

Heath move into the semi-final of the SCFA RUR Cup for the second year running following this narrow home win over Mile Oak.

The score suggests an evenly contested match but that shouldn’t have been the case with Heath having two penalties saved, three goals disallowed for offside, hitting the cross bar twice and missing two open goals but Steve Painter’s side still did just enough to beat a Mile Oak team that never gave up and could even have sent the game into extra time.

Heath’s first worthwhile attack came after 7 minutes play. Jamal Sultan ran at the heart of the Oaks defence before powering in a right footed shot that was parried by Aaron Stenning the Oaks goalkeeper to Jake Holmes but his follow up was deflected wide. The Oaks responded well with Craig Hall shooting narrowly wide of the post from 25 yards.

Another attack from Heath saw Saz Bidgood’s effort saved by Stenning, Holmes again pounced on the loose ball but fired high and wide of the target. Holmes finally thought he’d put his team ahead after 20 minutes when he converted from a Sultan cross but the goal was ruled out with the Heath striker having strayed into an offside position.

On 23 minutes Holmes broke away from the Oaks defence tried to go round Stenning but was hauled to the ground, an easy decision for the match referee and Dan Attwater stepped up to take the penalty which was well struck but saved at full stretch by Stenning who was very fortunate to still be on the playing field.

Again the visitors attacked and this time Mark Rewell’s long range effort saw Heath’s James Fisher scampering across his goal but the shot went wide, at the other end Sultan again attacked down the right flank and picked out Bidgood with his cross who netted from close range but once again the goal was disallowed for offside.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 30th minute, a free kick some 25 yards from goal was sweetly struck by Heath’s Portuguese star Tiago Andrade and it dipped and swerved over the wall and went in off the inside of the post, a superb strike and one his countryman Ronaldo would have been proud of. T

Three minutes later the visitors had a free kick in a similar position but their effort went straight into the arms of Fisher who held on well under pressure from Kieran Howard.

Just before the break another Sultan cross picked out Holmes but his first time effort crashed onto the cross bar and went out for a goalkick.

Into the second period and Andrade was the first with a chance when he broke away from the Oaks defence but shot straight at Stenning.

On 60 minutes Sultan crossed from the right to Holmes who struck the ball well but again the goal was ruled out for offside. Five minutes later Holmes did well to get on the end of a through ball and knocked it past the out-rushing Stenning but with the goal at his mercy shot into the side netting at the near post.

Two minutes later an almost identical move with Holmes again through on goal and beating Stenning to the ball but this time his shot went inches wide of the far post. As is often the case in such games when chances are missed, the visitors broke away and scored through Mark Rewell to bring his team level. But before the visitors could relax and celebrate their goal Heath regained the lead, from the kick-off the ball was played through to Holmes who with defenders either side of him, bullied his way into the penalty area and rifled a shot past the Oaks keeper, much to his and his team’s relief.

In the final 10 minutes Sultan hit a shot against the Oaks’ crossbar, Bidgood had an effort that threatened a passing satellite more than it did the Oaks goal, then with 5 minutes remaining Sultan was through on goal, approaching the penalty area and about to shoot when he was brought down from behind by Nathan Loughlin who was shown a straight red card.

Dan Attwater stepped up to take the penalty but his kick lacked power and Stenning saved a penalty for the second time in the match.

Heath can now look forward to a semi-final against the winners of the Lancing/East Preston game but they know they will need to be far more clinical in front if goal to stand any chance of reaching the final.

Heath: Fisher, Alfieri, Etherington, Flack, Attwater, Bidgood, Waddingham (Howard 75), Wood Andrade, Holmes (McDermott 75), Sultan (Robinson 85).