Heath get comfortable at Home
After the Heath’s bounce-back win against Uckfield, it was Pagham FC’s turn to visit the Home Smart Energy Stadium. The visitors were unbeaten in their last 5 games, but with the Heath looking to create a new unbeaten run of their own, it was bound to be a good game.
The two sides got the game underway under the rare March sunshine, and after a slow start to the game, Emmanuel Abudiore came up with the goods in the 22nd minute, a long kick from the Lions goalkeeper was headed forwards by Finn Daniels-Yeomans, Skerry’s through pass taking a fortunate deflection off the foot of a Pagham defender and into the path of Lewis Finney who looked initially to eye up the shot from range, instead opting for Abudiore out wide, the winger taking the shot on his left foot, his effort flying past the Connor Kelly at his near post.
The Blues doubled the lead with 5 minutes to go in the half, and it would be that man again, Abudiore and this one more impressive than the first. A loose ball after a 50/50 challenge between Goldsmith and the Lions left-back collected by Emmanuel as he drove infield, gliding past a defender to calmly slot past the keeper. An impressive first half thoroughly deserving of a 2-0 lead at the break! A half-time substitution saw Max Blencowe who had already seen a yellow card replaced by Tom Gilbert, and then a double change 10 minutes later, Rhodes and Benson replacing Connolly and goalscorer Abudiore. The visitors had their first chance of the second half through Asamoah Baah, cutting inside and working the ball centrally to the edge of the box, his shot sneaking past the tight Heath back line but calmly collected low down by Bromage.
Darius Goldsmith and Hayden Skerry were both replaced later in the match, and Byron Napper and Sam Geard’s cameos used all of Heath’s remaining substitutions. A 3rd goal nearly came for the Heath on two occasions late on, Finney’s defence-splitting pass found Benson’s feet but was denied well by Kelly, and then seconds later Rhodes’ shot was blocked by the defender and into the grasp of the goalkeeper as the full-time whistle brought the game to a close. Another 3 points for the Heath at home continuing their incredible form at the Home Smart Energy Stadium which puts pressure on the play-off race, and a satisfying performance and clean sheet.
