Whitehawk vs Haywards Heath Town

Recap

Whitehawk 1-1 Haywards Heath Town

Whitehawk played out a 1-1 draw on Bank Holiday Monday at The TerraPura Ground against 10 man Haywards Heath Town.

The match was played out in bright sunshine which bathed The TerraPura Ground and it was the Hawks that started the brightest with Fintan Walsh doing brilliantly to force an equally brilliant save from Heath keeper Luke Glover. This was followed up a minute later with Glover smothering an attempt from Lucas Rodrigues at point blank range, following an assist from captain Henry Muggeridge. The Blues responded with the ever-dangerous Trevor McCreadie forcing a good save by Hawks keeper James Broadbent, followed by a great clearance from Fintan Walsh. Seven minutes before half time, Haywards Heath thought they had taken the lead through McCreadie, but celebrations were killed instantly after a foul was given against him for punching the ball into the goal.

Just 5 minutes into the second half, the visitors were reduced to 10 men in strange circumstances as Josh Spinks, already on a yellow card, was shown a second yellow after taking a free-kick without permission from the referee. The Hawks, the better side through the first half, continued to dominate in the second with the 1 man advantage, but the Blues were defending well, blocking all opportunities taken by Whitehawk, chances that weren’t blocked however weren’t taken by the Hawks, summed up by an uncharacteristic miss from Rodrigues after the ball landed at his feet inside the penalty area after a deflection from the penalty area. Against the run of play, Heath were awarded a penalty after 66 minutes and Trevor McCreadie, potentially lucky to still be on the pitch after he handled the ball for a second time during the second half, stepped up to score it to hand them an undeserved lead. That goal seemed to make the game more even, but the scoreline ended up becoming level after the Blues’ defence failed to deal with multiple chances from the Hawks with the ball being cleared as far as substitute Connor Tighe, who struck a beautiful curled strike past a helpless Luke Glover eight minutes from time. Haywards Heath could have won it deep in injury time with Andrew Dalhouse’s header hitting the post, with the rebound by Tariq Straker being sent behind for a corner which came to nothing to ultimately earn both sides a point, but the Hawks would be disappointed that they didn’t take all three.

Hawks: Broadbent, Walsh (Banya 90’), Robinson, Emberson (Tighe 71’), Lopata, Hamilton (Rogers 79’), Rodrigues, Kissock, Ofori-Acheampong, Muggeridge ©, Martin – Subs Not Used: Deda, Unwin

Blues: Glover, Morrison, Summerfield, Cotton, Cooper, Spinks, McKenzie © (Hallard 90’), Warwick, McCreadie (Dalhouse 77’), Hartley, Osideko (Straker 83’) – Subs Not Used: None

Goals: Tighe 82’ (Whitehawk); McCreadie 66’ (Haywards Heath)

Yellow Cards: Hamilton, Walsh (Whitehawk); McCreadie, Spinks (2) (Haywards Heath)

Red Cards: Spinks (Second Bookable Offence – Haywards Heath)

Attendance: 280

Hawks Man of the Match: Kacper Lopata