'˜Small margins' rued with disallowed goals costing Broadbridge Heath in Saltdean defeat

The visitors have become somewhat of a bogey side for Heath and that proved the case again on Saturday as Alfie Rogers’ second-half goal grabbed the Premier Division points.

Heath had to contend with the last minute drop outs of Marlon Maxwell and Scott Weller with Charlie Leach, serving the last game of his suspension, Devon Fender still struggling with injury and Tim Rivers and Tim Cook unavailable.

Heath started well with George Cousins, Wright and Ollie Moore all going close before Nathan Stroomberg in the Saltdean goal pulled of an excellent save to tip Cousin’s curling shot over the bar.

Tom Howard Bold and Richard Wetton also fired narrowly over as Heath had the best of the first half hour.

From a Richard Wetton throw, Martyn Flack, despite being sandwiched between two defenders, flicked the ball into the path of Ryan Brackpool who drilled it into the far corner, but the referee indicated he had spotted an infringement, despite no appeal from the defenders.

The second half saw Heath camped in their opponent’s half for 30 minutes during which time, Stroomberg made two more excellent stops from Cousins and Dean Wright and a defender somehow managed to block Wright’s close-range effort.

But Saltdean then intercepted a pass, broke away and worked the ball across to Rogers who jinked inside Flack and buried his shot in the bottom corner. For the next ten minutes Saltdean took control and Kieron Thorp in the Heath goal had to make a couple of smart saves to keep the deficit as only one.

From a set-piece at the other end, Stroomberg and Moore rose together, the Saltdean keeper punching the ball off the Heath man’s head only as far as Cousins who found the bottom corner for what Heath thought was a deserved equaliser. However, the referee thought otherwise and gave a foul against Moore, with even the away bench admitting it was never a foul.

Manager Steve Painter said: “At this level the game is about very small margins and had we won we would have gone sixth, only behind fifth-placed Pagham on goal difference.

“As it is, we now face a local derby with resurgent Loxwood, in our quest for a top-six finish in what is turning out to be one of the most competitive Premier Divisions for some time.”

Heath: Thorp, Flack, Robinson, Waddingham, Brackpool, Howard Bold, Carney, Moore, Wright, Cousins. Wetton (Riecker 45). Subs: Fuller, Jones.