SLIDESHOW: Heath given get-out-of-jail card late on

Bexhill Utd 0

by Chris Francis

Heath can thank referee Colin Mallows for pocketing all three points as his penalty award seven minutes from time spared their blushes.

Up until then it had been one of those days when even home boss Simon Corless admitted: “It looked like if we played for 10 hours we’d never score.”

The decisions of the Burgess Hill official became more bizarre with the passing of every minute and his ruling that Steve Early had fouled home sub Sean Ardley left both camps, players, officials and supporters alike, dumbfounded.

Not that Corless was complaining, however, as Andy Tuckey clinically scored from the spot to give them a win they may have deserved on the balance of play and chances but in the end were very lucky to achieve. It made up for bookings to Rick Peacock and Tuckey for dissent, with the latter now having to serve a ban for five cautions.

Bexhill had every right to feel hard done by.

In the first half Mr Mallows got plenty of decisions correct, even if he was not always that close to the action.

Heath, in comparison, got nearly everything wrong when it came to finishing even though they produced some decent moves.

Danny Mobsby hit the near post from a free kick all of 30 yards out on the left after 11 minutes but then came a catalogue of misses.

Jamie Wanstall, arriving at speed to meet Peacock’s astute pull back, somehow put wide of an open goal and that set the tone for the rest of the match.

Bexhill had Danny Turner and George Aston booked for verbals in the first half and Heath clearly did not even learn that lesson. And they could have paid dearly for their profligate finishing had Graham Leach not pulled off a superb save to turn over Ricky Rand’s top corner strike just before half time.

After the break Heath were even more careless, with Ben Hall, Williamson and Tuckey all guilty before Hall missed probably the best chance. He was 10 yards out with just the keeper to beat but only succeeded in stabbing his effort against a post.

Even after Tuckey put away the get-out-of-jail penalty, Peacock hit his effort straight at keeper Joe Turner. But a win’s a win and Heath continue to acquit themselves well back in senior football.

Heath: Leach; Fiest, Bygraves, Gardner, Hall; Rouane, Tuckey, Mobsby, Wanstall (Ardley, 70); Williamson, Peacock. Unused subs: Juniper, Brazil.

Middy Starman: Mike Gardner, defensive rock and surprisingly dangerous when going forward.