Blues hold on for 3 points at Headquarters
Heath made the short trip to the coast to face Lancing on Saturday on the back of their draw against VCD last time out. It was a wet and windy Culver Road that greeted Heath with the later having an obvious impact on the game blowing directly end to end.
Walsh and Hurley made an enforced change to the starting line-up with Nabel Ghannam coming in for the injured Leon Moore. Tom Gilbert passed a late fitness test to retain his position in the starting 11.
Heath started well with the lions share of possession without creating anything in front of goal. In fact it was Lancing that created the first chance of the game with Billy Collings tipping over for a corner. Lancing grew into the game and Heath’s play started to become more scrappy as the Lancers began to dominate. Playing with the strong wind directly in their faces, Heath got pinned back and were conceding possession easily. Lancing were able to break the deadlock in the 26th minute, Mo Jammeh with a composed finish past Billy Collings.
It would only take Heath 5 minutes to get back on level terms, Ibs Jalloh running at the Lancing defence and his quick feet were too much to contain and he was chopped down 20 yards from goal. Alex Laing stepped up placed his freekick in the bottom corner, two in two from direct freekicks for Laingy!
Although back on level terms it was Lancing who continued to show the greater threat for the remainder of the second half and in needed a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping to keep the scores level. In truth half time was a welcome opportunity for Heath to re-group and re-organise.
The Second half started with Conrad Honore replacing the injured Tom Gilbert. The effects of the wind soon become apparent with Heath coming out much the stronger side. The pressure told, with Tom Collins bursting into the box before being felled by a clumsy challenge. The striker picked himself up to calmly place the penalty into the corner to put Town ahead for the first time in the game.
Heath continued to press Lancing higher up the pitch and the strategy paid off in the 65th minute when Mo Diallo caught a Lancing player in possession, used his strength to win the 50/50 and then burst into the box. His curling finish was judged to perfection, giving the goalkeeper no chance. At 1-3 up with 25 mins to go, the Blues looked in complete control of the game. Lancing weren’t finished through and a lapse in concentration allowed Reece Hallard a free header from a corner to make it 2-3.
The last 10 mins became frantic, with Lancing throwing everything forward in an attempt to get a point. Resolute defending and excellent goalkeeping from Billy saw out the nerve wracking 7 min of injury time and Town claimed the 3 points on the road.
