Broadbridge Heath ease past United to make last 16 of Sussex Senior Cup

Heath started brightly with Devon Fender the first to test the visitors’ goalkeeper Phil Hawkins with a shot from the edge of the area which was pushed wide. United replied as Sam Hart cut in from the left and hit a right foot curler just over the bar.

Heath took the lead midway through the half when Tom Bold’s corner was headed home by Scott Weller.

Minutes later Javlon Campbell burst through and hit a right-foot shot that flew towards the top left corner but Hawkins made a brilliant diving save to push the ball over the bar.

On 27 minutes, Weller played the ball through to Heath’s top-scorer Fender who beat a defender on the edge of the penalty area before drilling the ball low into the bottom left corner.

Fender scored his second and Heath’s third five minutes before the break when he ran at the defence and hit a low shot that zipped off the wet surface and flew past Hawkins.

The early stages of the second half was full of action with the play going from end to end in atrocious conditions.

The first chance fell to Tim Martin who shot just over the bar and minutes later Heath’s newest recruit, Tom Franklin who signed from Horsham YMCA, burst into the penalty area and blasted a shot straight at Hawkins who did well to hold onto it.

At the other end, an Eastbourne effort crashed against Michael Chester’s right-hand post but that was the closest the visitors came as Heath went on to create a hatfull of chances the only surprise being they didn’t score more goals.

Heath: M.Chester, Martin, Helsdown (Robinson 75), S.Chester, Flack, Howard-Bold, Weller, Parsons, Fender (Franklin 46), Sandell (Findlay 37), Campbell.