Three Bridges woeful in defeat to Sussex rivals

Broadbridge Heath were certainly not World beaters but they were far better than their visitors, the only surprise being that it took them forty minutes to open the scoring.

Heath contained a large contingent of former Bridges players, and two of them - albeit that they atoned later - should really have done better with the chances that fell to them inside the opening quarter of an hour. The tricky Mason Doughty, having got past Ridwan Euba, somehow found the side netting instead of testing Jasper Sheik, whilst an unfortunate deflection left Ben Aubrey clear only for his shot to be wide of the near post.

Bridges kept giving away needless free kicks and somehow survived two of Jamie Chesworth's fine deliveries into the box. But his third from the right caused mayhem around the goalmouth, and although the Match Announcer credited Tad Bromage with the goal, players from both sides felt it to be an own goal, thus denying the former Bridges favourite.

Sheik had to make good saves from Doughty and Kyle Sim as the game plodded on, but his opposite number Alfie Hadfield could have been excused for taking a nap as he was never seriously tested by a lukewarm Bridges attack.

A lot of hapless long balls by both sides seemed to indicate that the one goal might be sufficient, but Heath had other ideas, and five minutes from time Aubrey drifted past defender after defender before setting up Doughty for a clinical finish.

And in the last minute of normal time Sim struck confidently for what was probably a better reflection of the game overall. For Bridges, one to forget but with a need to reassess too.

Bridges Man of the Match - Jasper Sheik.

Broadbridge Heath Man of the match - Louis Evans.

B.Heath : A.Hadfield, K.Sim, J.Chesworth (G.Acheampong, 82), A.Waddingham (J.Buchanan, 57), T.Bromage, R.Brackpool, M.Penfold, L.Evans, B.Aubrey, S.Lemon (J.Lindsey, 88), M.Doughty. Unused Subs. - S.Kowalczyk, J.Brown. Booked - Brackpool (90), Evans (90+3). Bridges : J.Sheik, D.Ferreira, R.Euba (C.Collcutt, 52), B.Irving, T.Difika (C.Donaghey, 61), H.Woollard, I.Jalloh, B.O'Neill, N.Leighton, K.Rivera, N.Ghannam. Unused Subs. - N.Bryson, S.Agun, B.Villavicencio. Booked - Difika (24), Euba (44), O'Neill (68).