Under a lot of pressure....1 - 1....eventually having 10 men told...eventual loss 1 - 3.
A result to take heart from...10 players & against the Div 3 reigning champs & Cup holders....looking forward to playing them Away.
This was the proverbial game of two halves, with the hosts playing the better football and deservedly winning the first half, and the Bears doing likewise in the second period but just failing to get that equalizer.
The opening goal was scored after 9mins, one of those strange decisions, an innocuous challenge by Rob Godfrey on the Barnham forward, had the man in black blowing his whistle and everyone around wondering what that decision was, unfortunately for Heath it proved to be a penalty which the home side gratefully converted.
At times during the first half the Heath defence looked somewhat ragged which is quite surprising considering the quality of the players in the back four, and Barnham took full advantage scoring their second with a free header from a corner. Heath had a few chances themselves, Rob Godfrey had two long range shots that went narrowly wide and Mark Francis should have done better with a header that went wide of the post.
Changes to personnel at half-time saw Sleat come in at left-back and Godfrey move into the centre-midfield role, replacing Greg Brabon, who appeared slightly off the pace of the game but does look a good prospect for the future. The changes had an immediate effect with Woods pace and craft down one flank and Milo Hamilton causing problems on the other side of the field, Hamilton finally scoring on 70mins with a low right footed shot under the goalkeeper. Heath continued the pressure restricting the home-side to the occasional breakaway, shots peppered the Barnham goal but somehow the home-side managed to hold on and earn their second successive victory.
Hurst came out much stronger in the second period and took the lead through Dominic Reason who headed home from eight yards, again Heath came back, Michael Wood was sent through on goal and the young striker scored the goal of the game with a low right footed shot from the edge of the box. Heath hardly had time to celebrate before the visitors were once again in the lead, Scott Avory under hit a backpass to his keeper and Lusk pounced to push the ball past the advancing keeper and into the empty net. In the final minutes Hurst made it 4-2, a Jay Dodd free kick on the edge took a wicked deflection off the wall to give Westoby no chance.
Hurst are a much improved side compared to last season and they will surprise a few teams this year, but Heath should really have wrapped this game up in the first half.
Team: Ken Westoby, Martyn Flack (Mark Francis 65mins), Rob Godfrey, Scott Avory, Dan Attwater, Greg Brabon, Ben Garman, Paul Gallagher (Miles Hamilton 55mins), Michael Wood Jamie Liddell, Joe Lyons.So having again missed several clear cut chances in the opening 30 minutes a few of us were beginning to think “here we go again”, but the deadlock was finally broken 5mins before the break when Joe Lyons, making his debut, converted a cross from the right to give Heath a deserved 1-0 half-time lead.
Heath’s second was scored on the hour, good play down the left flank and exchange of passes between Jamie Liddell and Milo Hamilton set Greg Brabon through and the midfielder, also making his debut, coolly slotted past the advancing goalkeeper.
Heath went on to totally dominate play and should have scored several more goals but Liddell saved the best to last, outpacing a defender Liddell then rounded the goalkeeper, jinked past the centre-half before shooting into the empty net for his first of the season and in this form it won’t be his last.