Bears hit their premier best - Billingshurst sink Selsey - Roffey ground Swans

Broadbridge Heath 8 Alfold 0

SCFL premier

Heath recorded their biggest ever win in premier division football.

Having previously only scored two goals in four matches, the Bears have now scored 13 goals in their past two games.

The visitors started the season well and for a while were a top six side but a run of 13 games without a win has seen them slip down the table and resulted in a change of management, with former Heath first team manager Mark Wright taking over at the helm.

The first half was a very one-sided affair with Heath dominating play, and the only surprise was that it took so long to open the scoring.

On 19 minutes Heath keeper Liam Matthews smashed a long drop kick straight down the middle of the park to Taylor, who flicked on a header straight into the path of Lewis Croal, who shrugged off a challenge on the edge of the box before placing a right foot shot low into the bottom right corner of the net.

Five minutes later it was 2-0. Louis Blake received the ball on the halfway line and played a pass splitting the Alfold defence and allowing Taylor to skip past a challenge and lift the ball over the advancing keeper for his 11th of the season.

Horsham Youth player Charlie Gibson got in on the act scoring direct from a corner to make it 3-0 and ,just to prove that he can score from open play as well, he made it 4-0 three minutes later with a tap-in at the far post from a Charlie Parmiter low cross from the right.

In the closing minutes of the half, Taylor showed his class with the best goal of the game and something of a trademark for the former Heath Youth player by lobbing the Alfold keeper from 20 yards to make it 5-0 at the break.

Alfold manager Mark Wright had seen enough and brought on all three substitutes before the half had ended, a brave move but it seemed to improve their game with the visitors far more determined and better organised in the second period.

Taylor completed his hat-trick on 73 minutes when Mason Doughty attacking down the right flank got round the defender and squared the ball to Taylor for a tap-in.

A mistake by the Alfold keeper in the 81st minute allowed Taylor to score his fourth of the evening and the scoring ended with Alfie Jones converting a Cameron Watts free kick at the far post to make it 8-0.

It was an excellent performance by the Bears ahead of some very difficult matches coming up, starting with a home match against Eastbourne United on Saturday.

Boss Chris Simmons said: “It was a great performance by the lads, we moved the ball around really well and with a high tempo.

“JT was everywhere and deserved his goals but defensively we have been fantastic this season with four clean sheets in a row in the league and six or seven in the last nine league games.”

Billingshurst 2 Selsey 1

SCFL division one

Billingshurst manager Lee Spickett praised his players’ reaction as they got back to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Selsey.

It was the perfect response from the Jubilee Fields outfit after a 5-0 drubbing away at Mile Oak the previous week in a performance that fell well below expectations.

Back at home, goals from Nick Tilley and Harry Smith secured a 2-1 win in a dominant display which, as a result, saw them climb up to 11th in a congested table.

Switching to a 3-5-2 formation, Hurst had all of the early running with Smith in particular causing the visitors’ backline plenty of problems. He carved out the first chance with a low ball into strike partner Tilley, but he miscued his effort from 13 yards out. Smith then sent a towering header onto the cross before a good move from Jack French, Jake Chadwick and captain Tom Colbran saw the latter fire just wide.

The opening goal eventually came on 25 minutes as a good header by Smith put Tilley through one-on-one and he finished past Lloyd Ayling despite being under pressure.

Selsey almost levelled straight away as some sloppy play at the back saw the ball drop for a forward in the box, but the effort was deflected wide. It should have been 2-0 on the stroke of half-time but for a brilliant save from Ayling, diving to tip Chadwick’s effort wide and he had jinxed through the defence.

Hurst’s wastefulness in front of goal looked to have come back to haunt them after the break as a deep ball wasn’t defended well or cleared and Corey Burns tucked away the loose ball on 55 minutes.

After that, the visitors got bodies behind the ball and defended the muddy far goal area well as Smith was denied along with Sam Bull. But the resistance was finally broken on 72 minutes as Lewis Reeves’ delivery, which appeared to be sailing in, was nodded over the line by Smith.

The hosts saw out the game well and put to bed the previous week’s demons.

Spickett said: “I was really pleased to get three points and to see the reaction from the boys after last week. To be honest, we dominated the first half and should have been out of sight, but Selsey are a good side, well drilled and got back into it and made us dig in to get the win. We’ve reset now, so looking for improvement and consistency going forward, starting at Hailsham on Saturday.”

Storrington 1 Roffey 2

SCFL division one

Despite being without six first team regulars and losing a keeper shortly before kick-off, Roffey made their game in hand count to return to the top of division one.

Roffey started well with Josh Neathey, James Pearse and Josh Maher breaking from midfield to join Tiago Andrade and Jack Ryder in threatening the home goal.

Several crosses from were cleared then when Andrade played a one two and was bearing down on goal he was brought down and the referee pointed to the spot.

Neathey hit the penalty inside the post despite Ollie Howley guessing right and diving full length.

Ryder got on to the end of Maher’s cross but saw his effort blocked on the line.

At the other end, stand in stopper Andy Howard was given protection by his defence with 17 year old Hayden Jannels and experienced Ross Swaine snuffing out attacks.

On 32 minutes Ryder was brought down five yards outside the area and Neathey stepped up to blast the ball into the top corner via the underside of the bar.

The second half followed a similar pattern but Roffey failed to put the game out of the Swan’s reach.

This looked like it might come back to haunt them when Jordan Suter’s free kick took a wicked deflection off Swaine which took it away from Howard and gave the hosts hope of an equaliser.

But Roffey managed the game well and Howard was not seriously threatened.

Boss Andy Lampard will be hoping to welcome back several players either for Saturday’s home match with Seaford or other pre-Christmas matches.

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