HEATH FIRE BLANKS

The eagerly awaited first league game of the new season at Hanbury Park saw the new look Heath have the majority of possession and chances, yet they were unable to secure the win their play deserved and were disappointed to only collect a single point when all three should have been taken.

Heath made all the early running playing some neat passing football and created several chances where the buildup was superb, but the final ball was not to the same standard so the opportunity was snuffed out by the Bosham defence. The closest Heath came to the opening goal was after 15 minutes when one of the rare Bosham attacks was superbly broken up by young centre half Howes on the edge of his own area. He passed outside to right back Wright who advanced before slipping the ball inside to White who immediately found Clarke in space. He advanced at pace, drew a couple of defenders and played in Skinner who with characteristic calmness slotted the ball past the despairing keeper. The Heath celebrations were cut short as there was a very late offside flag which ruled out the goal.

This prompted more attacks with Wright overlapping with vigour and Beard making some penetrating runs on his Heath debut which could have resulted in a couple of goals with a bit more composed finishing having done the hard work of getting in position. Then Newman arrived on the end of a Wright cross but his looping header was turned over the bar at full stretch by the Bosham keeper. Bosham responded by threatening the Heath goal after springing the offside trap, but the cross from the left was headed over with Turner the Heath keeper knowing he had it covered. Back came Heath with good build up play from the excellent midfield but Skinner and Campbell on his debut up front were not quite on the same wavelength as each other and couldn't apply the finish to any of the chances created leading up to half time.

The second half was more of the same from Heath; after an hour a Beard piledriver took a slight deflection which took it just past the post with the keeper beaten, a free kick from the left was taken off Paul's foot before he could slide the ball home, Skinner was denied by the keeper in a one on one, then had a weak header caught. At the other end the only Bosham attack led to Turner bravely collecting the ball from the onrushing attacker. With time running out Heath attacked down the right again through Wright, he played the ball into Beard who chipped it to Skinner at the far post whose shot was just palmed away. Again Beard broke into the box but couldn't apply the finish, and then he crossed the ball into the danger area, the keeper pushed the ball out and Skinner smashed it goalwards - only to see the keeper make a great fingertip save which pushed the ball onto the bar and over. The corner came to nothing and the match ended in stalemate, with Heath knowing that victory should have been achieved and three points banked.

Team

Turner, Wright, Howes, Paul, Macmenemy, White, Beard, Newman, Clarke, Skinner, Campbell (sub 60 Collins)

Man of the Match

White