fixtures and results | home page
'Leafe were beaten by a side who hadn't won for 14 games and didn't test their debutant keeper once during the match. What a contrast from the last away match at Cray when they beat the top of the table. Little has changed with the side so it is puzzling at why the standard was so different.
The hosts had the better of the early exchanges without really looking like scoring. There then followed a spate of yellow cards for niggly challenges and to Andrew Martin for dissent. 'Leafe had to wait until the 34th minute for their first chance when Michael Harney's cross almost reached Sean Rivers but was cleared by the last defender. A minute later Rivers fired over from close range after good work by Martin and Hammond. Robert O'Hara's only save came from a Danny Gainsford shot in the 37th minute from a Jon Lansdale corner.
Burgess Hill had the better of the second half. O'Hara made a fine save from Wes Tate in the 57th minute. 'Leafe were making some good attacks, notably through Mark Hammond who created the few chances that were made.
Martin headed just over from Hammond's 61st minute cross and two minutes later James Shaw punched another dangerous cross clear. Two minutes after that a Hammond corner came out to Robert Smith and his shot was deflected over the bar. Martin then saw his 65th minute shot from another Hammond cross blocked.
Just as Leafe seemed to be getting on top, they fell a goal behind in the 69th minute. Steve Harper broke clear of the 'Leafe defence and thumped the ball past O'Hara into the net.
Manager Stuart Massey even brought himself on with 10 minutes to go, but within a minute found his side two down. A free kick from Zac Beda found Tate unmarked in the box and he had all the time in the world to slot the ball home. The closing minutes were scrappy with arguments breaking out all over the pitch. It was mostly handbags, but Smith was sent off at the end of the game for violent conduct.
Whyteleafe: O'Hara, Hudson, Harney (Massey 80), Reeve, Broomhead, Goodchild, Conroy, Smith, Martin, Rivers, Hammond.