Broadbridge Heath see off Hythe – Lancing loosen Nuts and Bolts

Broadbridge Heath 2-0 Hythe Town

Isthmian south east

Broadbridge Heath left it late to earn a 2-0 home victory against a dogged Hythe Town team after the visitors were reduced to 10 men, with Johan Caney-Bryan being shown a straight red in the 75th minute.

In a fairly quiet first 45 minutes the game had an end of season feeling with both teams sitting comfortably in mid-table and neither creating many chances.

For the visitors Bradley Schafer had the best opportunity on 30 minutes when he from a difficult angle his right foot shot was sliced high and wide. At the other end Heath’s best chance came just before the break when a long drop-kick from George Evans put Mason Doughty through on goal but the striker also struck his effort high and wide.

Heath started the second half much better and within minutes of the restart Callum Dowdell cut in from the right and fired a shot just wide of Hythe goalkeeper Lewis Briggs’ post and into the side netting; minutes later Louis Evans did something similar when he received the ball from Sam Lemon and struck a shot from the edge of the 'D' that also went narrowly wide of the post.

Hythe should have been reduced to 10 men after a two-footed high challenge on Jamie Buchanan – much to everyone’s surprise only a yellow was shown.

The Bears continued on the attack and on 60 minutes Mason Doughty got around the back of the Hythe defence and played the ball across the face of goal to Dowdell coming in from the right but Briggs made a superb block to deny the striker. The ball came out to Evans who struck it first time but he was denied by a superb diving block by defender Liam Smith to clear his lines.

On a rare foray by Hythe into the Bears final third George Evans, Heath's goalkeeper, showed his class by saving a Jake Embery shot at his near post, denying the striker from giving his side the lead.

On 75 minutes Heath were given an advantage when Caney-Bryan was shown a straight red for a challenge on Ben Aubrey and Hythe were down to ten.

Despite the disadvantage the hosts then went on to have their best spell of the game but without really troubling Evans – that was until the 89th minute when a Josh Wisson free kick from 25 yards was brilliantly saved by Evans, diving to his left to push the midfielder’s curling right foot effort out to safety.

In time added on Heath finally broke the deadlock when a long Kyle Sim throw-in from the right found the head of Tad Bromage on the penalty spot who powered a header goalwards that went in off the underside of the crossbar, his 10th goal of the season.

There was still time for a second goal and it could so easily have been an equaliser when Evans was finally beaten by Wisson but skipper Ryan Brackpool saved the day with a last ditch clearance off the goal-line to deny Hythe an equaliser.

The ball was immediately played up the other end to Sam Lemon, wide on the left, who ran at the defence, cut inside a defender and hammered a right foot shot from the edge of the penalty area into the top corner of the net to send the majority of the 304 spectators home happy.

MOM; Sam Lemon

Heath manager Chris Simmons said afterwards: “The lads were great in spells, we asked them to press higher than we have in recent weeks and to be more positive and they did everything we asked apart from taking our chances, but again the ever reliable Tad gets us in front and Lem finished the job. On another day we win that 4-0 or 5-0.”

Heath: G. Evans, Sim, Chesworth, Penfold, Bromage, Brackpool, Buchanan (Mutongerwa 69), Dowdell (Aubrey 64), Lemon, L. Evans, Doughty (Lindsey 85).

Lancing 4 Ashford United 2

Isthmian south east

by Dave Wilmott

Lancing’s home programme ended in April sunshine but a cold wind in front of 365 spectators – and with a 4-2 win against Ashford United.

One change saw the return to the starting line-up of Shay Matthews at full back. Shay had appeared in Lancing colours earlier in the season but has since played for Loxwood.

Lancing controlled the game from the back dominating possession with a slow and patient build up probing for openings but always happy to move the ball around denying the opposition any time on the ball, until Ashford did seize an opportunity to break down the left and hit a dangerous ball across the face of the goal, touched away for a throw in which led to an untidy scramble in the box, which Lancing were able to clear.

Andrew Briggs took on the major responsibility in the centre of midfield, in the absence of the two players who had formed the partnership with him for most of the season, namely Charlie Bennett and George Taggart. Alex Plummer proved again how important it is to have a player capable of filling the breach so well, despite not being a regular starter.

Briggs began the move which led to Lancing taking the lead on 10 minutes. He hit a long curling pass from wide on the left which reached Shay Matthews on the opposite flank. He set Lukas Franzen-Jones on a run towards the bye-line from where he delivered an inviting cross for Ben Pope to fire home.

Noel Fisher looked full of confidence taking the game to the opposition. He advanced into the penalty area twisting and turning past defenders but without being able to create sufficient space for him to strike on goal.

Lukas Franzen-Jones was proving to be a handful for the visitors to contain which looked to have earned him a penalty as he came to ground but referee Andrew Dunn was unimpressed. Lancing increased their lead on 22 minutes. Noel Fisher was quick to intercept a mis hit clearance from keeper Chiedoze Nwosu, which allowed him to run through and plant the ball into the net.

At this point Lancing were in cruise control and it seemed to be only a question of when the next goal would come as both Noel Fisher and Knory Scott were leading the opposition a merry dance.

A third goal looked to be on the cards just over the 30 minute mark, following a neat exchange of passes between Scott and Ben Pope which led to a pass to Franzen-Jones on the edge of the six-yard box but his attempt to volley the ball home was sliced wide..

Ashford were then gifted a route back into the game when Louis Rogers advanced outside his area to head a bouncing ball clear. However, the ball glanced backwards off Rogers’s head. He looked to have made a superb recovery, reaching up to scoop the ball away from Noah Carney who would have been presented with an open goal.

Unfortunately, referee Dunn considered that the Lancing keeper had unfairly impeded the striker, awarding a penalty and issuing a caution to him. Carney sent Rogers the wrong way driving the ball home from the spot.

Joseph Watts earned the only caution of the game for Ashford for a foul on Andrew Briggs as he was impeded bringing the ball out from the Lancing half. Despite having very little of the play and no serious efforts on the Lancing goal, Ashford found themselves level shortly before half time with Noah Carney capitalising on Lancing losing possession leaving him able to run through to score with Louis Rogers stranded from goal.

A free-kick by Lukas Franzen-Jones for a foul on Ben Pope was fumbled by keeper Nwosu but he was able to reclaim the ball just in time.

Lancing began the second half with an early strike from Knory Scott which Nwosu was able to keep out with his feet. Noel Fisher finished off a good passage of play, cutting inside and hitting a powerful effort on goal which cleared the bar. Andrew Briggs shrugged off a caution for a shirt pull by sending Knory Scott forward.

Scott laid the ball on for Ben Pope but his shot was blocked behind for a corner. The corner was driven in low by Andrew Briggs reaching Lukas Franzen-Jones who reacted with a thunderbolt of a volley low into the bottom corner to restore Lancing’s lead on 57 minutes. Noel Fisher created another scoring opportunity as he cleverly worked his way through a couple of tackles to reach the bye-line. He looked up, spotting Franzen-Jones in the six-yard box and delivered a chipped pass which Franzen-Jones headed goalwards bringing a good save from Nwosu.

Lancing made their first substitution on 66 minutes with Callum Erskine coming on for Ben Pope and he was soon showing his energy with a pacy run on goal. Knory Scott came close to increasing Lancing’s lead, after evading a couple of tackles, finishing with powerful drive from 30 yards which had Nwosu at full stretch to fingertip the ball over the bar.

Lancing were in complete control at this point and Callum Erskine almost had his first senior goal for Lancing as he flung himself to connect with a great cross from Lukas Franzen-Jones.

He was able to get his head to the ball but unable to keep it low enough to hit the net.Charlie Gibson came on for Nic D’Arienzo , followed by Leon Fisher for Alex Plummer.

Lancing mounted a series of onslaughts on the Ashford goal. After a strong from Noel Fisher the ball reached brother Leon who saw his effort on goal blocked. Knory Scott and Noel Fisher then joined forces with Fisher having his shot deflected behind.

Charlie Gibson curled the corner in from the right, the ball dropping just under the cross bar but Nwosu was able to palm it away. More efforts on goal came but it was not until the 89th minute that Lancing were able to get their reward for some fine attacking play when Lukas Franzen-Jones secured his 24th league goal (28 in total) getting on the end of a ball over the top to lift it over Nwosu as he came from his line to try and claim it.

Callum Erskine came close again after Charlie Gibson had worked a short corner with Andrew Briggs who laid the ball on for Erskine who fired just wide of the upright.

Four goals was scant reward for what was an excellent team performance. Two soft goals took the gloss off a well-deserved three points, and the double over The Nuts and Bolts. This win secured sixth place in the table, just one place of the promotion play off zone. With only the way game at Hythe Town to come, Lancing are hoping to complete April’s fixtures undefeated.

MoM: Noel Fisher.

Lancing: Louis Rogers, Shay Matthews, Jack Meeres, Sam Bull, Nic D’Arienzo(Charlie Gibson 77), Andrew Briggs, Alex Plummer(Leon Fisher80), Knory Scott, Noel Fisher, Ben Pope(Callum Erskine 66), Lukas Franzen-Jones. Unused subs: Alfie Knight, Rory Marashi.