Early goals give Lancing too many Bridges to cross … Broadbridge Heath beat Littlehampton Town

When these two sides last met at the end of October Three Bridges were occupying top position on 23 points with Lancing sitting just above mid -table, some 14 points adrift.

The tables have turned since that day, when Lancing inflicted a heavy 4-0 defeat. Bridges have slipped down the table having accrued 38 points and Lancing have moved up to fourth place on 50 points.

At Bridges, Lancing were missing skipper Alex Laing, absent through illness. This opened the way for a new signing – an ex-Lancer from a few years back, and more recently a Burges Hill regular, Nicholas D’Arienzo, to make his debut.

Bridges struck early to lead 2-0 after 11 minutes. It was hard to believe one’s eyes to witness the usually solid and reliable Sam Bull being dispossessed twice as Bridges began with energy, giving Bull no time to dwell on the ball.

Lancing survived the first loss with the ball being put behind for a corner but they were punished on the second occasion as Bridges raced away with the ball and set up Noel Leighton. Bridges leading scorer, on 16 goals, is not one to spurn a golden opportunity and put his side ahead on nine minutes.

Bull then played a part in Bridges’ second goal, although was in no way culpable. He will have played the ball back to Louis Rogers countless times and the Lancing keeper will have played the ball out safely and accurately. But here Rogers was guilty of a mis-control and as he desperately tried to recover the situation only helped to prod the ball over the line as he stretched to keep it out.

Lancing came close to reducing the lead with a good strike from Knory Scott. The ball flew upwards off keeper Jasper Sheik before being cleared with a spectacular overhead kick. Lukas Franzen-Jones received a pass from Andrew Briggs, shooting on the turn but into the arms of Sheik.

Rogers found himself in trouble, having lost the ball under pressure, but able to recover and concede a corner. Sheik was also in trouble as he was closed down by Charlie Bennett blocking the keeper’s clearance. With a large slice of luck, the ball might have rebounded from Bennett into the empty net. Instead, it swerved away for a goal kick.

D’Arienzo had been showing he possesses a peach of a left foot but also that he has another useful asset, a long throw in.He was able to reach into the heart of the six-yard box from some distance but the Bridges defence were able to prevent him doing any real damage.

Lancing were fortunate to survive losing possession to Ibrahim Jalloh which saw him bear down on the Lancing goal but waste a good chance clearing the cross bar.

Lancing were working hard to try and resist Bridges’ high tempo game and were able to create some goal scoring opportunities in the latter stages of the half. Noel Fisher and Scott combined to enable Scott to drive the ball towards the goal only for it to strike a defender and go behind for a corner. Fisher won a tussle for the ball and curled a shot just wide of the far post.

Bridges threatened to increase their lead with a quick breakaway but Rogers was alert, coming off his line to secure the ball. Dan Howick delivered a cross which Sheik fumbled under pressure from Bennett but the keeper was able to regather the ball before Lancing could react. Howick put Sheik under pressure causing him to lose the ball – it fell to Howick who tried to get the ball into the net but was blocked.

Lancing made a substitution for the second half introducing attacker Charlie Pitcher for defender Bull. Pitcher was keen to make an instant impression and after an interchange of passes with George Taggart, found Bennett with a cross into the box. Bennett shot on the turn but cleared the crossbar.

Bridges wasted a good opportunity to increase their lead when Nabeel Ghannam was put through by Jalloh but fired wide. Pitcher took on the Bridges defence with a pacy run sending the ball to Scott who came close with a shot which ended up in the side netting. Lancing had another lucky escape when Brannon O’Neill broke through but shot wide.

Lancing were struggling to break down some close marking and create openings and on 68 minutes brought on another forward, Ben Pope, for defender Howick but, before he could make any impact, Leighton sealed Lancing’s fate with his second after some clever footwork in the Lancing box.

An Andrew Briggs free-kick almost caught keeper Sheik out but he just managed to get a hand to the ball as it dropped perilously close to going in under the cross bar. Rogers was also under pressure, twice having to punch the ball clear.

Lancing made their final substitution on 83 minutes with Charlie Gibson replacing Fisher. Leighton was denied a hat trick when a thunderous strike from outside the box rattled the bar.

Referee Joseph Dann Pyke had managed to control the game without having to resort to any cautions until very late on. Jalloh was dilly dallying on the ball and a frustrated Taggart brought that to an end unceremoniously to the displeasure of the official. Taggart committed a second foul on Jalloh from which a free-kick came close to be turned in at the upright.

Pitcher continued to take on the Bridges defence earning a corner from which Jack Meeres headed home for his first goal of the season but with six minutes of added time showing this was no more than a consolation. The final word came from 16-year-old Bridges substitute George Falzon, making his debut, which he crowned within two minutes of his entry by diving low to a free-kick to head past Rogers.

It was a hardworking and energetic display from Bridges closing Lancing down and giving them little time to settle on the ball and establish any sort of rhythm. There can be no complaints at the 4-1 scoreline. The two soft early goals seemed to have an adverse effect.

Scott showed some sublime touches on the ball and was Lancing’s most creative player and was named MoM. D’Arienzo settled into the team well.

Next game for Lancing comes at home to bottom of the table Beckenham this Saturday.

Lancing: Louis Rogers, Dan Howick (Ben Pope 68), Nicolas D’Arienzo, Jack Meeres, Sam Bull (Charlie Pitcher46), Andrew Briggs, George Taggart, Noel Fisher (Charlie Gibson 83), Knory Scott, Lukas Franzen-Jones, Charlie Bennett. Unused subs: Alex Plummer, Will Berry.

Broadbridge Heath 2 Littlehampton Town 0

Broadbridge Heath came out on top against their former County League opponents Littlehampton Town at the BodyMould Stadium, the Bears winning 2-0.

The first attempt on goal came on six minutes when Heath’s Mason Doughty received the ball from Matt Penfold and tried his luck with a left foot shot from 25 yards that fizzed just over the crossbar.

The visitors’ fist clear chance of the game came midway through the half when Nordirbek Bobomurodov cut in from the right and struck a left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area which was punched clear by Heath stopper Alfie Hadfield.

A minute later Heath were awarded a free kick deep in their own half, the ball was played forward by skipper Ryan Brackpool to Ashley Mutongerwa, who played it inside to Doughty. He struck a fierce right-foot shot from 20 yards that beat a diving James Binfield but came off the foot of the post before being cleared away to safety.

In the closing minutes of the half Jake Lindsey received the ball on the halfway line from Brackpool and ran at the Town defence before interchanging passes with Doughty, weaving past two defenders and slotting the ball past Binfield into the bottom corner of the net to make it 1-0 at the break.

The visitors started the second half on the front foot but were restricted mainly to long-range shooting, ND the closest they came to an equaliser was on 68 minutes when substitute striker Fareed Saidu Salifu’s left-foot shot went through a crowd of players’ legs before hitting the foot of the post and going out for a goal-kick.

Minutes later a left foot rocket from Matt Penfold from 35 yards crashed against the underside of the Littlehampton crossbar before being cleared.

With 10 minutes remaining Heaths Matthew Hay was brought down in the penalty area and skipper Ryan Brackpool stepped up to slot the resulting spot kick past Binfield to complete the scoring and seal the 3 points for Heath.

MOM: Jamie Buchanan

Heath boss Chris Simmons said afterwards: “We have played better than that and lost, We started really slowly and Littlehampton were quick to get on top and should have been in front but for a couple of good saves by Alfie. But we grew into the game and then an excellent finish by Jake really settled us.

"In the second half we were much better and fully deserved the win.”

Heath: Hadfield, Sim, Chesworth, Brackpool, Bromage, Penfold, Mutongerwa (Hay 55), Buchanan, Doughty (Berry 65), Lemon (Waddingham 85), Lindsey.