Three Bridges stay top of Isthmian south east – but Chichester City win to surge into top three

Quite how Bridges didn’t win their game at home to Merstham will remain a mystery. Even Merstham boss Tony Reid thought that his side were “awful” on the day, but credit to the visitors for not giving up even when they trailed by two goals with twelve minutes to go.

Camron Lawson alone might have had a hat-trick in the first nine minutes. He hit the post when Kevin Rivera crossed inside the first minute, crashed a header against the crossbar from another Rivera cross and then saw a drive turned away by keeper Zack Basey.

Ethon Archer also saw a shot diverted away, so it was something of a shock when the visitors took a 25th minute lead when full back Michael Abnett danced through three challenges before finding himself with just Mitch Bromage to beat from close range.

And it almost became worse when Loranzo Lewis found himself free and forced Bromage to a good low save. Merstham skipper Dean Gunner cleared off the line from Archer, but the little winger was rewarded four minutes before the break when he broke through and finished with aplomb.

Dan Ferreria and Noel Leighton both came close as Bridges stepped up the pace before a lovely 70th minute move involving Lawson and Archer was finished by Brannon O’Neill.

Eight minutes later O’Neill struck a free kick firmly to seemingly clinch the points for the homesters, but just two minutes later a needlessly conceded corner led to Lewis Pearch driving through a crowded goalmouth.

And it needed only another two minutes for Abnett’s cross to somehow evade a packed defence with Paul Lusuku looking to get the final touch.

Not much more could have gone wrong for Bridges it seemed, but it did. O’Neill couldn’t quite meet Leighton’s chip with a solid enough header,

Basey made a brilliant double save to deny O’Neill and Rivera, and even when the referee awarded Bridges a penalty, he changed his mind after consulting an assistant. And the final nail in the coffin was the straight red card shown to Taylor Curran for a tackle from behind five minutes into the seven added!

Bridges Man of the Match – Brannon O’Neill.

Broadbridge Heath 0 Chichester City 3

Headed goals by Ryan Davidson in the first half and Joe Clarke and Conrad Honore after the break earned Chichester a second 3-0 win of the weekend.

Davidson was the only change to the starting XI that lined-up in the penalty shoot-out Velocity Cup victory against Broadbridge Heath just over a week ago at the BodyMould Community Stadium.

Here, Chichester’s first 25-minute leggy and lethargic performance was in stark contrast to their defeat of Lancing last time out by the same margin at the MKM Arena.

Rob Hutchings and Josh Clack combined on two minutes and set Kaleem Haitham up for a shot which was off target. Centre back Curtis Da Costa then got dispossessed by Bears No9 Mario Quiassaca whose effort was saved easily enough by Magee and the Chi custodian had to deal with Heath captain Ryan Brackpool’s long throw moments later as the home side pressed once again.

Then Emmett Dunn, scorer of the second goal at home to Lancing, got tackled, fairly, by Bradley Campbell-Francis and Magee did well to deny his attempt.

Next, Ben Pashley was alert to intervene and play the ball back to Magee after the Bears broke as Haitham lost control and a swift counter resulted in a fierce Quiassaca shot which Magee blocked for the game’s first corner.

Campbell-Francis fired one high and wide before Rob Hutchings played Clack in but he failed to just hit it. Da Costa got himself in trouble once more and Campbell-Francis’ effort was saved by Magee, with the follow-up wasted by the hosts who sent it over.

A lovely flick-on by Steve Hutchings on 13 minutes to Haitham resulted in a decent pass to Clack whose shot nicked off a defender for a corner which Lee Seok-jae took.

Dunn drilled one off target following a long ball; Campbell-Francis played in a dangerous cross that eluded teammates; and at the mid-point Rob Hutchings didn’t get his delivery quite right.

Broadbridge Heath had the ball in the back of the net just before the half hour but Quiassaca’s super finish was ruled out for offside.

Rob Hutchings then twisted and turned skilfully only to lose the loose ball and Magee was out sharply to clear ahead of Jake Lindsey following a neat pass from Quiassaca.

Lee whipped in another corner which Dunn won, Clarke swung and missed and Haitham’s subsequent effort was blocked. Chi, waking up now, earned another corner which Lee delivered brilliantly to Davidson at the back stick and the defender out-jumped everyone to give the visitors the lead against the run of play on 37.

Haitham was fouled by Louis Evans a couple of minutes later and Lee’s set-piece wasn’t far away. Dunn’s excellent pass to Haitham saw the No7 cut inside and force keeper Roshan Greensall into a good save before Clarke got impeded and Rob Hutchings’ free-kick went straight through without anyone attacking it.

On the stroke of half time Campbell-Francis was allowed to advance without a challenge but he drilled a shot wide of the mark.

Rob Hutchings then obstructed Lindsey, Jamie Chesworth took the set-piece and the Chi backline conceded a corner ahead of Tad Bromage.

Evans took this, the last kick of the half, but a teammate fouled an opponent in the box. Heath thought they’d pulled an equaliser back after a neat build-up but again Quiassaca’s goal was chalked off for offside three minutes in.

It all got a little scrappy for 10 or so with wayward shots and crosses aplenty. The hosts won a corner on 57 after Campbell-Francis caused a bit of trouble but Steve Hutchings was well up to head away.

Davidson then played his busy striker in only for Hutchings to shoot off target. Both sides rang the changes on 63 minutes with Joe Moore replacing Haitham and Mason Doughty coming on for the impressive Quiassaca.

Clack had a tame shot after good work from Davidson before Lee got a second assist with a superb cross and Clarke’s bullet header made it 2-0. Lee made way for Honore a couple of minutes later and Broadbridge Heath brought on Charlie Parmiter and Jack Frankland for Charlie Weller and Sean Terry.

Campbell-Francis then had an effort deflected, although Magee was down effectively to his left to smother. And with 15 to go it was 3-0 as Dunn picked out Clack who crossed to Steve Hutchings and the No9 headed on to Honore who nodded the ball home – his second goal against Broadbridge Heath in as many games.

Isaac Bello replaced Steve Hutchings on 80 minutes and referee Josh Evans brandished Honore a yellow card for a bit of afters. A brilliant reverse pass by Honore got Bello away but his heavy touch allowed Greensall to clear.

At the other end Magee dealt with Frankland’s ball in and Rob Hutchings intercepted a pass intended for Lindsey. Evans went into his namesake’s notepad in the last minute of normal time for a foul on Dunn and Bello made a well-timed tackle on Campbell-Francis as he broke into the area.

Davidson hobbled off in the sixth minute of stoppage time and Bromage headed a corner over at the death. So, although we’re only three league matches into the season, Chi have yet to concede a goal and are up to third place in the Isthmian South East division on seven points.

There’s no game this weekend for Chi because of FA Cup fixtures.

Lancing 0 Burgess Hill 1

This eagerly-awaited fixture saw an early return to Culver Road for Dean Cox and team who quit Lancing at the end of last season to take over the reins at Burgess Hill, taking with him some of Lancing’s squad.

But only Reece Hallard started .Finn Daniels-Yeoman and Marcel Powell were on the bench and Marcus Allen was sidelined with a couple of fractured ribs.

A solitary goal separated these teams at full time. Rob O’Toole got his head to a corner on 20 minutes which Alieu Secka was unable to keep out.

Lancing looked the better team on the day and came close to scoring shortly after The Hillians had taken the lead, with a header from Henry Watson which rebounded off the underside of the cross bar.

The crossbar again came to the Hillians rescue on 30 minutes.George Taggart delivered a superb pass which put Harry Heath in on goal. He finished with a stunning drive which rattled the underside of the cross bar before being scrambled clear.

George Taggart then tried for goal himself, picking up the ball midway in the opposition half ,beating a couple of defenders as he powered into the penalty area, whereupon he was brought down.

The Lancing faithful were crying out for a penalty but referee Anthony Cross was unmoved and awarded a free kick inches from the edge of the area.

This was not the only sense of injustice felt by the Lancers as early in the second half Lancing skipper Alex Laing embarked on one of several strong forward runs and was brought down by the last defender as he was about to round him with only the keeper to beat. A red card seemed to be justified but only a caution was issued.

Lancing put The Hillians under intense pressure, coming close with a few headers from set pieces but the visitors held out.

A bumper crowd of 451 were treated to an entertaining contest.