FLAT HEATH ONLY DRAW

In a curious messy match that was played in bright sunny conditions, Heath dominated without playing that well, had the majority of chances yet ended up rescuing a point in the last 10 minutes. However there were two bright points on the day; they created chances all game, and they have unearthed another jewel in left back Luis Freitas who looked very comfortable and composed on his debut.

Both teams started slowly and the first ten minutes produced nothing noteworthy. Then Heath broke into attack and were through on goal, only to be denied by a very late, and incorrect, flag for offside. Newhaven took the free kick and from a misjudged header from Ty Paul, the ball bounced and was mis-hit past Chris Turner in the Heath goal. This served to spark Heath into life and they started knocking the ball around well and building from the back, with Freitas eager to keep the ball on the floor and he and Rob Cooper were linking well and looking a potent threat moving forward down the Heath left side. They combined with Clark who played in Beard in the Newhaven box but he was clattered as he shot but the ref turned down the penalty appeals despite the clear foul.

Worse was to follow for Heath as they attacked down the left again, this time through Daley Clark. He crossed the ball which was missed by big Matt Kelly owing to the fact that the Newhaven keeper had felled Kelly with a reckless studs first challenge that went through the centre half. However as that occurred, Olly Day met the cross and headed it into the unguarded net for the equalizer. The referee had awarded the goal but a vocal Newhaven team and bench beseeched him to consult with their linesman who had flagged. The referee did consult and bizarrely disallowed the goal for an apparent offside that his linesman had seen - despite the fact that the cross had been pulled back from the byline and the header had come from the penalty spot. To add insult to injury Heath weren't awarded a penalty for the goalkeeper's assault on Kelly and he also was allowed to stay on the pitch. All in all a very strange couple of minutes play. Heath continued to press forward and their momentum was briefly halted as Matt Kelly was booked, but then a Beard free kick was nodded out of the danger area and Cooper hit a rasping drive that just flashed wide. At the other end Chris Turner made a smart save after a Paul error and then in the final act of the first half Mark Beard was played through and he drew the keeper and rolled the ball past him - and the far post. He is still claiming it hit a divot that moved it 4 feet off course when it was heading for the Newhaven net.

The second half was a scrappy boring affair with any chances being created by Heath but they couldn't finish with shots and headers being sent wide or high of the Newhaven goal. With time running out a Heath throw was nodded on and Olly Day gleefully hooked the ball into the Newhaven net to equalize, but Heath were unable to get the second goal that would have brought them three more points. This week Heath are away at Croydon in the FA Vase.

Team

Turner, White, Paul, Kelly, Freitas, Humphries, Day, Beard, Cooper, Clark, (Enticknap 70) Skinner (Lares 65)

Man of the Match

Freitas