Comfortable enough
Published Date:
17 September 2008
Burgess Hill made comfortable progress to a coincidence FA Cup tie with Bognor although there was brief alarm as Saturday's Combined Counties visitors Epsom & Ewell pegged the score back to 3-2 after being outgunned in the first half.
When Epsom skipper Alex Rodrigues headed their second goal 12 minutes from time the hosts then stepped up a gear to confirm their superiority with a late double to complete a 5-2 win.
With big defender Danny Gainsford on a course for work and only arriving 10 minutes before kick off, Hillians left him on the bench and played Matt Piper in central defence, with James Martin filling the void at right back.
It took just 10 minutes to breach the visiting defence as Richard Greenfield fired a half volley over keeper Neil Harrowing from just outside the box and 10 minutes later new signing Dan Beck (pictured) opened his club account when he headed in a corner by player-manager Jamie Howell.
It all looked set for a real cakewalk when skipper Steve Harper curled in a trademark free kick on 43 minutes but after the break Hillians failed to press home the advantage and a goal on 65 minutes lifted Epsom. Robbie Burns was the scorer after an error by Nick Fogden.
Harper had already been withdrawn, still feeling his thigh strain, and when his opposite number struck 13 minutes later Hillians could have wobbled.
But any worries were allayed seven minutes after that when Peter Martin scored his first senior goal for Hillians after being put through by Greenfield. Although Harrowing got a hand to Martin's lob, the ball had enough power on it to get over the line before a defender could clear.
It was in stoppage time that Beck struck again, scoring with a bullet header after good work by Greenfield and Peter Martin.
Howell said: "It was comfortable enough and I was pleased with the way we stepped up a gear after they pulled it back to 3-2.
The full article contains 337 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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Last Updated:
18 September 2008 11:11 AM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Haywards Heath
