A night to remember at the HSEnergy Group Stadium saw a club-record crowd of 1,267 watch Haywards Heath Town record a superb 2–0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in the Sussex Transport Senior Cup. The visit of Brighton had created huge excitement around the club and the local community in the build-up to the game, and that was reflected in a fantastic turnout on Wednesday evening.
1,267 supporters came through the gates, setting a new ground attendance record and creating a brilliant atmosphere under the lights. The players responded with a performance to match the occasion.
Heath created numerous chances in the first half and controlled the play but couldn’t find the opener. Jack Barnes gave Haywards Heath a deserved lead as a set piece which was cleared multiple times by Brighton ended up at the feet of the skipper who took his chance from 6 yards out. 2 minutes later Charlie Meehan was put through on goal but Brighton defenders react quickly to stop the winger from making it 2. Brighton start to create a couple chances of thier own forcing goalkeeper Stroomberg-Clarke to make a couple big saves. With 83 minutes on the clock Heath win a free kick 25 yards from goal, Lukas Franzen-Jones riffled the ball into the top right corner making it 2-0 and securing a memorable 2–0 victory and a place in the next round of the Sussex Senior Cup.
Brighton arrived at the HSEnergy Group Stadium with a young professional side and as last season’s runners-up in the competition, making the result another significant moment in the club’s recent progress. But Wednesday night was about more than just the result. Ahead of the fixture, manager Kev Green had spoken about the opportunity to bring new supporters through the gates and showcase the football club to the wider Haywards Heath community. He said he hoped those attending for the first time would enjoy the football, facilities and atmosphere and want to return for future league and cup matches. The response from the town exceeded expectations.
To see more than 1,200 people packed into the HSEnergy Group Stadium was a fantastic sight and provided another indication of the progress being made both on and off the pitch.
Haywards Heath Town would like to place on record its thanks to every single person who attended the game, as well as the volunteers, staff, stewards and everyone else who worked behind the scenes to make such a significant evening possible.
We would also like to thank Brighton & Hove Albion, their players, staff and supporters for being part of the occasion.
Most importantly, we hope those who visited the HSEnergy Group Stadium for the first time enjoyed their evening and will come back and join us again.
A record crowd of 1,267.
A 2–0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.
And a night that will live long in the memory at Haywards Heath Town.
Thank you for your incredible support. 🔵⚪