HEATH LEAVE IT LATE IN CUP

At the fifth time of asking this 3rd Round Sussex Intermediate Cup game was finally played, and in true Cup tradition it produced an entertaining dramatic game that was finally decided with a winning goal for Heath in the last minute.

From the start Heath were buzzing and taking control with their short neat passing game establishing dominance, but they were unable to find the opening goal. They had a couple of warnings as East Preston looked to play a long left to right diagonal ball to their speedy winger, and after 20 minutes the same tactic paid off when the danger wasn't cut out and the winger was felled in the box as he cut in to shoot. The penalty was netted and Heath were behind. They responded well and scored themselves when a free kick was spilled by the Preston keeper and Geoff Pitcher netted from the rebound, only to see it ruled out for offside. At the other end East Preston were persevering with their long ball tactics and stretching the Heath defense, who were bailed out twice by Chris Turner who made two fantastic full length saves from one on one opportunities that even had the attackers applauding. It was due to him that the score was only one nil at half time.

Heath changed their formation for the second half and immediately gained territorial supremacy but it looked like it was going to be one of those nights where nothing hits the net as a combination of bad shooting and great goalkeeping kept the Blues at bay. Then as so often happens in football East Preston got a break and somehow the ball ended up in the Heath net to put them two down. It could have been a killer blow but the Heath players continued to press and eventually with only twenty minutes left Eric Mvale scored his first Heath goal with a cool finish, and then with considerable skill he fashioned a great cross from the right touchline for Luis Freitas to head home for his first goal for the club with only five minutes left.

Extra time and potentially penalties were beckoning now as the game entered the final minute but Heath were still pushing and Mark Enticknap, who had come on and sprayed a succession of fantastic defense splitting passes, slipped a slide rule pass which wrong footed the whole East Preston back four and beat the offside trap, to leave Luis Freitas clear on goal but forty yards out. He took the ball and run into the box before calmly slotting past the keeper to cap a great comeback and put Heath through to the next round.

Heath have been drawn at home v Eastbourne Town Reserves in the 4th Round which will be played on Wednesday 18th February, 7.45pm kick off.

Team

Turner, Humphries, Wright, Howes, Watts, White, Day, Beard, Mvale, Freitas, Pitcher G (Enticknap 65)

Man of the Match

Freitas