Haywards Heath Town

Postponements rather than the fixture computer gave us matches against fifth, second and finally an originally scheduled game against sixth placed Haywards Heath Town. After good performances against Eastbourne Town and Newhaven, it is fair to say that this game was a bit flat and we did not trouble their keeper enough. It reminded me of our FA Vase match against Deal Town and with late goals the result was the same – a 2-0 defeat.

A slow starting game with Haywards Heath breaking forward on three minutes but it came to nothing. On 8mins Stephen Hodge made a great tackle at speed and played the ball forward to Dennis Asante to chase but their keeper came out to claim. A minute later Haywards Heath were pressing down the right and had a shot from the edge of the box that flew way over. The lads defended a corner by putting the ball behind on 13mins. Preparing for the corner Haydn Dickinson went down with an injury. Sadly, just like the last match we lost a key player very early in the game as Dickinson had to come off and be replaced by Jay Simpson. Nothing came of the corner but on 17mins Haywards Heath played a ball through to the edge of our box and in last ditch challenge by Luke Richardson their player was brought down for a penalty. The referee issued a yellow card as he deemed it to be a challenge for the ball but others had a different view. The penalty kick sailed way over the bar and out of the ground. A lucky break that did not last long as on 24mins a Haywards Heath break in the box on the left resulted in another penalty. The penalty kick was kept low this time and but went wide of the left post.

A Haywards Heath free kick from the left into the six yard box was gathered by Nathan Carter on 29mins. On the half hour it was our free kick from the left into their box delivered by Conor Wilford. It was headed on into the six yard box and then deflected over the bar for a corner. Wilford’s corner was headed behind for him to deliver another. Richardson and Asante were battling for the ball and it came out to Wilford but he got too much on it sending it long and out for a throw. Tyrone Magala-Bryan battled well to keep the ball in play in our left corner and earnt a throw in as the last fifteen minutes approached. Into the third added minute and a long ball down the centre to Asante ended with an offside flag but the officials missed Magala-Bryan being taken out off the ball. In the sixth added minute a strong but fair challenge saw the Haywards Heath player making a meal of it and received some advice from Wilford and David Heaton about his actions. In the aftermath Heaton was sent to the sin bin for ‘dissenting an opponent’ which was a new one on us. Half time came and it was 0-0.

The second half started with Heaton still to serve his sin bin and Haywards Heath trying to take advantage of the man advantage. After three minutes they cut in from the left to the centre of the box but Magala-Bryan made a great tackle to prevent a shot. On 49mins a free kick from the right came to the left side of the box and was cleared to safety with a deft flick from Hodge. A minute later it was another free kick, this time from the left, which was palmed clear by Carter for a corner. The corner was hit long and Josh McArthur Nolan blocked a follow up cross. A Wilford free kick from the left on 52mins was met by Richardson but his header was wide. Another free kick by Wilford was put over and it was time for another injury substitution as Richardson had to go off with Louis Gates replacing him on 55mins. A minute later McArthur Nolan had the ball on the left and pushed down the wing and crossed into the box where Jimmy Williams put his header just wide of the right post. It was Gates on the right wing a minute later and taking on the defender to deliver a cross to the left side of the box but nobody was there to get on the end of it. On 59mins Haywards Heath had the ball on the left of the box but Carter was there to clear the ball.

On 66mins Asante had the ball on the left, played it on to Gates who moved centrally and set up McArthur Nolan but the ball would not sit for a shot. A minute later it was time for a double change as Asante and Williams went off and Richie Wetton and Toby Hill came on. On 69mins an alert Hodge snuffed out any threat from a long ball with a back header to Carter who put the ball forward to Hill. He won a free kick on the right but Wilford got underneath the ball and sent it high. On 72mins Wetton and Simpson linked up to play in Gates but the ball was cleared out to the left. The long throw from Wetton was headed on but went past the right post. On 78mins Haywards Heath were chasing a long ball down the right with George Branton trying to cover. Their player rounded an onrushing Carter, delivered the ball into the six yard box for it to be headed home for 1-0. But was the ball kept it? Branton was certain it had not been and protested strongly given that the linesman was far behind the play. His reward was a trip to the sin bin but it would appear that his claim was correct and the ball was out. Chasing the game left us open to another goal and a lack of defensive cover left Haywards Heath with a two on one to seal the game on 86mins. Into added time Wetton won a corner on right and following this kick there was a confrontation in the box which ended with red cards for both our skipper Heaton and theirs, ironically also wearing the No. 6 shirt. Haywards Heath Town took the points with a 2-0 win.

A tough run of games that have not seen us outplayed by these sides in the top six but beaten three times. Our next two fixtures will see us visiting the bottom two clubs and an excellent chance to turn our form around before the post Easter visit of our neighbours Crawley Down Gatwick. They remain one place above us in tenth place with a four point cushion and still two games in hand. Little Common have closed to a point behind us and with a game in hand. We have yet to play our home fixture against them and our other two remaining fixtures are visits to Horsham YMCA and Eastbourne United.