Excellent display as Burgess Hill Town continue unbeaten start to the season with South Park win

After Saturday’s FA Cup win Manager Ian Chapman made two changes with last season’s Youth skipper, Will Miles, coming back into the defence after serving a one match suspension in the place of Toby Pointing and Scott Kirkwood coming into the midfield for Sam Gore. Sam Fisk made his 100th appearance for the Hillians.

Hillians dominated the first half although it was the hosts who had the first chance of the half after six minutes when Kieran Lavery struck a powerful shot from 25 yards which Josh James saved well low to his right.

It turned out to be South Park’s only real effort on goal in the first half as the Hillians played some impressive stuff, moving the ball around well and creating plenty of chances and deservedly taking the lead eight minutes into the match.

Pat Harding pounced on a mistake by home skipper Daniel Guscott and drove a low shot past experienced keeper James Wastell in the hosts goal.

It took just two minutes for the Hillians to double the lead as good build up play saw Darren Budd move the ball for Fisk to cross which Harding flicked on for summer signing Rob O’Toole to tap the ball home from close range to score his fifth goal of the season.

Hillians showed no signs of letting up and Budd saw a 20 yard effort go over the bar, and Fisk’s long ball found Harding who nearly increased the lead when he got past Guscott but saw his low effort saved.

Hillians did get a deserved third when Greg Luer powerfully ran down the right, beating former Hillian Jamie Hatfield and sent a superb delivery into the box that Kirkwood headed home for his first goal of the season.

The second half continued in much the same vain although, against the run of play, South Park pulled one back ten minutes in when Joe Jackson saw his deflected shot from the edge of the area beat James in the Hillians goal.

Harding restored the three goal lead within minutes when Luer was again the provider as he crossed for Harding just inside the box and he fired a low shot into the bottom corner.

Miles had a powerful free header from Budd’s corner go straight to Wastell in between two substitutions by Hillians manager Chapman as Graham Martin came on for Joe Keehan for his first appearance of the season and Dann Perry coming on for Budd.

Perry very nearly scored with his first touch as O’Toole headed across goal to the young striker who headed just wide from close range.

Saturday’s FA Cup goalscorer Lee Harding came on for O’Toole and Pat Harding and Perry both had chances before the end as the Hillians returned home with three points on a very satisfactory evening for Chapman and his management team.

Hillians: Josh James, Neil Watts, Sam Fisk, Andy Pearson, Will Miles, Joe Keehan (Graham Martin 70), Scott Kirkwood, Darren Budd (Dann Perry 75), Rob O’Toole (Lee Harding 81), Greg Luer, Pat Harding.

Not used: Sam Gore & Toby Pointing.