A second-half goal by player-manager Jamie Howell kept Burgess Hill's play-off hopes very much alive and put another nail in Horsham YM's coffin on Easter Monday.
On a heavy surface that cut up quite badly, both teams did as well as could be expected and certainly the struggling visitors can count themselves unlucky to go away emptyhanded.
With veteran Daren Pearce pulling the strings in midfield, they looke
d a much better side than the one Hillians beat 2-0 at Gorings Mead on Boxing Day.
The hosts were under the cosh in the opening minutes but there was not much serious work for on-loan keeper Stuart Robinson, who later was lucky not to be punished for a dreadful miskick.
It was 20 minutes before the first touch of real quality came from home skipper Steve Harper, who beat three players before firing inches wide.
The game was evenly poised after a goalless first half but after the break Ollie Rowland missed a good chance to celebrate his Hillians debut with a goal after being played in by Harper.
The breakthrough finally came on the hour when the hosts claimed an instant return on a substitution just two minutes earlier. Neil Watts was brought on in midfield for striker Phil Elkins, with Howell pushing forward to partner Harper.
All three were involved as Watts' early ball released Harper, whose angled drive was parried by YM keeper Ken Westoby to leave Howell with a simple tap-in.
Harper had a couple of chances to make the game safe after that but YM also threatened an equaliser, with sub Pani Ortis heading one effort wide and then being denied only by a desperate goalline clearance by Stuart Tuck.
Full report in this week's Mid Sussex Times.
The full article contains 303 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
