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Whyteleafe disappointed in this encounter with Burgess Hill, the visitors enjoying much the better of the game, particularly in the second half and were well worthy of their victory.
The opening exchanges were scrappy with the visitors making little headway on the 'Leafe defence and the home side relying on long balls cleared from defence. From one of these long clearances from Robert O'Hara, Paul Scott was brought down 25 yards out. Mark Hammond took the resultant free kick, curling it into the arms of Joe Adams.
Burgess Hill had their first chance in the 20th minute when Danny Curd broke clear of the offside trap but O'Hara was quickly out to clear the danger. A minutes later the visitors took the lead with a superb strike from the edge of the box by Will Berry following a free kick on the halfway line from Danny Gainsford. Curd should have got a second shortly afterwards when he missed from close range following a corner.
'Leafe went close in the 35th minute when a Leon McDowell cross found Jordan Wilson on the edge of the box. He put the ball through to Danny Oakins in front of goal but Adams was quickly out to snatch the ball from him. Two minutes later a quickly taken throw from Oakins on the right sent the hardworking Scott clear. He outpaced the defence and slotted the ball past the advancing Adams into the net.
The second half belonged very much to the visitors who always looked the more likely to find a winner. Matt Piper chased a long ball down the right in the 56th minute, pulled it back to the edge of the box where Curd was waiting to strike but O'Hara pulled off a fine save tipping the ball around the post. Berry then tried his luck again from 25 yards, shooting just wide of the goal.
Leafe did go close once in the half on the hour when Scott, a constant menace to the visiting defence, put in a dangerous cross which Gainsford cleared to the edge of the box where Sam Butler hit a tremendous drive across the face of goal but beyond the far post.
Jon Lansdale was the next to go close for the visitors in the 63rd minute with a volley that O'Hara tipped over the bar. The winning goal eventually came in the 72nd minute with a well struck goal from Lloyd Skinner.
Stuart Massey made some changes to try and press for an equaliser, bringing on Lee Sidwell and Darryl Coleman and pushing Ryan Royston further forward. They did come more into the game in the closing minutes but never actually tested Adams in the visitors' goal. Burgess Hill thus held on for their first ever league victory at Church Road.
Whyteleafe: O'Hara, Aldous, Royston, Fleming, Duff (Coleman (D) 76), Wilson, Scott, Hammond, McDowell, Oakins (Sidwell 76), Butler.