Whitehawk 2-0 Burgess Hill Town

Whitehawk made it 3 victories on the bounce as they defeated struggling fellow Sussex side Burgess Hill Town 2-0 in atrocious conditions at The TerraPura Ground.

The first half mirrored the conditions the game was being played out in as it wasn’t a great watch for fans of either side with both teams struggling to keep possession on a wet pitch with gusts of about 50 miles per hour being experienced throughout. Chances were, as a result, few and far between with a brace of chances from Aaron Smith-Joseph for the visitors and a deflected shot from Connor Tighe for the Hawks being the only notable action.

The game burst into life just 3 minutes into the second half however as a long throw assisted by the wind from the near side by Marvin Hamilton kindly fell to the feet of Alfie Rogers who scored an easy tap in from 3 yards out. The lead was doubled less than 2 minutes later, and the second goal was a near replica of the first with Hamilton again having a long throw in to the box being picked up by the wind and taken to the head of Fintan Walsh, who’s looped header beat a helpless Josh James in the Hillians goal. The quickfire double seemed to stun Burgess Hill who didn’t offer any sort of reply to the goals at all. In fact it was the Hawks who could have extended the lead with Tighe and substitute Lucas Rodrigues having a couple of chances on goal. Deep in injury time however the Whitehawk clean sheet became at risk through a long range effort by Ryan Palmer which required keeper James Broadbent to make a great save to push the ball behind for a corner which ultimately came to nothing, enabling the Hawks to get back to winning ways in the Isthmian South East Division.

Hawks: Broadbent, Walsh, Emberson, Kissock, Lopata, Hamilton, Muggeridge © (Rodrigues 64’), Unwin, Rogers (Deda 89’), Tighe (Ofori-Acheampong 77’), Ovenden – Subs Not Used: Banya, Torres

Hillians: James, Vendrells, Cadman ©, Baker, Jonah, Kirkwood (Briggs 67’), Harding, Wilson, Miller, Giraud-Hutchinson, Smith-Joseph (Palmer 61’) – Subs Not Used: Matthews, Bennett, Robinson

Goals: Rogers 48’, Walsh 50’ (Whitehawk)

Yellow Cards: Kirkwood, Wilson (Burgess Hill)

Hawks Man of the Match: Luke Emberson

Attendance: 150