Broadbridge Heath and Billingshurst beaten - Roffey sink Shoreham

Broadbridge Heath 0 Crawley Down Gatwick 1

SCFL premier

More than 150 supporters were at the Countryside Stadium for the visit of the Anvils,

Former Heath Junior player and under 23 goalkeeper Daniel Laws took over between the posts for his first match in the senior side.

Heath created the better chances in the first half but their strikers didn’t have their shooting boots on.

Charlie Parmiter, Jamie Taylor and Louis Croal spurned good openings and there were two good shouts for penalties.

Laws made a great save early into the second period whileTaylor hit a shot straight at the Anvils keeper.

In the 75th minute the visitors won a corner on the right, the ball was played to the far post and came out to a Crawley striker who rifled in a shot from the edge of the box that struck Andy Waddingham and the referee harshly pointed to the spot.

Phil Johnson slotted the kick into the bottom corner. Ollie Moore smashed the ball away in the celebration and picked up a second yellow.

With the extra man Heath dominated most of the late play but couldn’t level. On Saturday the Bears go to Lingfield.

Manager Chris Simmons said: “I am disappointed with the result but not the performance. We will play worse and win.”

Simmons congratulated Horsham FC on making it to the FA Cup first round.

Billingshurst 1 Montpelier Villa 2

SCFL division two

Billingshurst’s three-game unbeaten run came to an end on Saturday at the hands of Montpelier Villa at Jubilee Fields.

The mid-table clash saw the well-drilled visitors emerge with a 2-1 victory as Hurst put in a Jekyll and Hyde display either side of half-time.

That has been the tale for Lee Spickett’s side of late as they strive to put a complete 90-minute performance together and cut out the goals in the against column.

It wasn’t something that changed in the first half of Saturday’s fixture as Villa set up in a 3-5-2 formation and caused the home side plenty of problems in the middle of the park.

The first chance went the way of the hosts as the final touch averted them during a goal-mouth scramble and Nick Tilley’s effort was blocked.

At the other end, an initial ball into the box was cleared but Lewis Reeves missed the second and Michael Lloyd fired wide across goal when well placed.

Villa right wing-back Harley Damario then looked to have found his way behind the Billingshurst defence, but to be stopped short by a fine tackle from Reeves.

The deadlock was broken on 27 minutes and it left Hurst again aggrieved with a refereeing decision.

As goalkeeper Lewis Blaney collected a loose ball, the referee harshly judged he had impeded a Villa forward and despite consulting his lineman, who didn’t seem to think a foul had been committed, the man in the middle stuck with his decision and Marcus Richmond converted from the spot.

The hosts fell further behind five minutes later when a smart ball from Damerio saw Richmond pull-off a good turn and finish from just inside the box.

Billingshurst switched formation at the break in a bid to halt being outplayed in the middle of the park at the break and matched up their opponents.

It was a change that paid off as just seven minutes after the restart a ball from Sam Bull was played across the box and Jake Chadwick eventually put a low effort in via the inside of the left-hand post.

It was all Hurst after that as they threw on two more strikers to try to force a leveller – Chadwick had a header cleared off the line and Callum Nash should have tested stand-in goalkeeper Ryan Walton when well placed, but blazed over.

The pressure never told though and the hosts were unable to find a way through to grab a deserved point.

Spickett said: “Villa were much the better side first half, we never really got into our stride and they thoroughly deserved to go in at half time in front, although I though the penalty was very harsh. We changed it about and the boys put in a much better display second half and in fairness, I think we deserved the draw, but it just wasn’t to be.”

Roffey 5 Shoreham 3

SCFL division one

If Andy Lampard was looking for a response to the defeat against Storrington, he could not have asked for more as Roffey took on second placed Shoreham.

The hosts welcomed back Luis Correia, Josh Maher and Hayden Neathey – and a new signing, ex-Roffey favourite and record goalscorer Devon Fender, made his second debut for the Boars.

After 35 minutes of sparring the game burst into life with three goals in five minutes. Neil Munday forced the ball over the line after Corriea had saved point blank from a corner. The lead lasted less than two minutes as Tiago Andrade part danced and part muscled his way past several defenders before driving home the equaliser.

It got even better when Fender got away down the right and whipped over a cross, which Josh Maher crashed in off the bar to make it 2-1 at half-time.

Roffey continued on the front foot but Shoreham still looked dangerous from corners and free kicks. Then on 63 minutes, Robinson released Maher on the left wing and he delivered a perfect cross for Josh Neathey to rise high and head into the top corner.

It got worse for the visitors when Neathey and Thomas Shelley chased a through ball. Keeper Alves did well to get there first and clear but the Shoreham defender shoved Neathey to the ground as they entered the penalty area, leaving the referee with no option, but to give Roffey a penalty. Neathey obliged from the spot.

It was not over. Shoreham, with nothing to lose, pushed forward and a left wing cross was turned in by Harry Heath.

The game got even tighter when the referee spotted a push on a Shoreham player at a corner and Mark Pulling made no mistake with the penalty. Roffey got back into their stride and Wanstall latched on to an Andrade lay-off but couldn’t get his shot away. Then Fender was put in down the right and he beat his defender to cut in and find the far corner to finally put the game to bed. Fender nearly added another in the last minute when he dribbled towards goal but could not squeeze his shot past Alves.

An exciting game, and an excellent response from Roffey was saddened only by Luis Corriea making his last appearance before returning to Portugal. He has become a firm favourite with everyone at the club. No Midweek game this week and Roffey visit Mile Oak on Saturday.

SAM CHAPMAN