Points Shared at the Rotherfield
It was a trip to Midhurst & Easebourne’s Rotherfield stadium for the Heath who wanted to continue their superb form. The reverse fixture was a notable moment in the Heaths season, an 8-0 win at Hanbury Stadium.
Plenty had changed in the two sides since then however, and Naim Rouane’s side saw Sam Geard in the starting XI in place of Cameron Dobell, and Liam Hendy replacing the injured Dan Cadman. The game was a slow starter, 2 quick yellow cards in succession were the biggest highlight of the half, Midhurst’s number 2 hacking down Bresciani, and then Darius Goldmith’s late challenge put his name into the referee’s book.
A substitution was made by Heath on the half an hour mark, Ben Connolly coming on for Geard. A flurry of bookings in the first half with the referee taking 4 names in 5 minutes. Benson and a member of the Midhurst bench were first, before a double booking for Midhurst’s number 7 and 4.
The second half was far more eventful than the first, Lewis Finney’s header in the 58th minute nearly putting Heath ahead, an incredible diving save from Midhurst’s goalkeeper to push the ball behind for a corner. But just 2 minutes later, Midhurst opened the scoring, a bit of a shock to the system for the Blues who hadn’t conceded first since the final game of 2023.
The Heath were awarded a penalty in the 68th minute, and there was no doubt from the captain Byron Napper who rolled into the bottom corner, the goalkeeper sent the wrong way, and brought the game level. Lewis Finney then looked to complete the comeback in the 83rd minute, an inch-perfect through ball allowed Heath’s number 7 to open up his body and smash in Heath’s second. But Midhurst were fast to find a response, equalizing just 2 minutes after Heath’s goal, and 5 minutes from time. Both sides were forced to settle for a point at the end of the 90, Heath’s next game against the league leaders, they hope to right their wrongs and go back to winning ways against Newhaven.
