Haywards Heath Town FC secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Roffey FC in the FA Vase, booking their place in the next round after a dominant performance. This was already the third meeting of the season between the sides, with Roffey having progressed in the Peter Bentley Cup, but Haywards Heath coming out on top in the league encounter.
The Blues started the better side, applying early pressure and pushing into Roffey’s defensive third. Goalkeeper Monty Watson-Price was fortunate to avoid a red card when he clattered into Darius Goldsmith on the edge of the box. The referee showed him a yellow, and the resulting free-kick came to nothing. Heath continued to probe for an opening goal, and it came in the 37th minute. Darius Goldsmith entered the box and pulled the ball back across the goal, where Harry Shooman was quick to react and poked the ball into the net for a well-deserved lead. Goldsmith’s hard-fought challenge with Roffey’s Daniel Pappoe earned him a booking just before the break.
At half-time, Heath led 1-0, but the game was far from over. Henry Watson nearly doubled the lead in the 51st minute, heading a powerful effort against the crossbar from a Kyle Sim’s long throw-in. Heath’s momentum continued, and they were rewarded in the 63rd minute. A corner from Lloyd Francis took a fortunate turn when it bounced off Watson-Price and into the side netting, giving the Blues a two-goal cushion.
Manager Kev Green made effective substitutions to ensure his team remained fresh. Charlie Towning replaced Goldsmith in the 70th minute, and shortly after, Matt Astle and Charlie Meehan came on for Ryan Warwick and Flynn Bolton. Late on, Jonathan Sanchez and Kiko Tanev replaced Billy Fuller and Francis to see out the match.
The game ended 2-0 to Haywards Heath, a dominant and professional performance that limited the Boars to half-chances at best. With the win, the Heath now await the draw for the next round of the FA Vase.
