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WHYTELEAFE 2 - 0 BURGESS HILL TOWN
Saturday 10th September 2011
Ryman League Division 1 South

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Whyteleafe notched their first home win of the new campaign with a goal in each half during an entertaining game at Church Road.

The visitors dominated the opening 30 minutes, a James Rhodes free-kick curled inches over young Leafe keeper Ricky Borrett’s crossbar in the second minute after a foul by centre-half Hiram Laud-Anderson. The same player deflected the ball onto the woodwork on 15 minutes, seeking to end another spell of Hillians pressure.

Rhodes hit two further shots from distance, each only narrowly wide of goal whilst lively forward Jones Awuha went close on 21 minutes having burst through the Leafe defence. George Hayward hit another speculative strike inches over, whilst at the other end Scott Simpson, recently returned to Church Road after a number of years at other local clubs, forced a finger-tipped clearance from visiting keeper Joel Harding.

On 37 minutes came an extraordinary episode with a pinball machine series of shots, saves, deflections and blocks in the Leafe area. Alec Brown, enjoying an excellent game at right-back, crucially blocked an Awuha strike and the woodwork was twice hit before Borrett gathered the ball on his line. Immediately, in form Leafe striker Jay Garrick broke forward and a tame shot trickled under Harding to secure an unlikely lead for the home side.

After the break Whyteleafe began to dominate, the lively Simpson hitting a fine strike, pushed away by Harding. On 48 minutes Ryan Thomas made a powerful run down the right wing, his fine cross gathered smartly by Harding as Garrick looked set to head home. Thomas again threatened on 50 minutes, a fierce shot inches over the bar and Garrick saw a goal bound shot deflected over by Billy Parkinson on the hour.

It was not all one way traffic and Borrett was forced to make a superb point-blank save in his own area.

The hosts doubled their lead in the 74th minute, a Garrick shot blocked by Harding but Jerome Ingram following up smartly to strike the ball home. Substitute Stephane Gnamore saw a stinging low strike tipped around his post by Harding and Fred Fleming’s header from the resultant corner once again forced Harding into action.

Burgess Hill may well have felt aggrieved at being two goals down and pressed hard for some reward, the best chance on 87 minutes when Tyrone Berry crossed from the left wing and substitute Nick Holland brought a tremendous flying save from Borrett, who then pushed Martin Butkus’s header from the rebound onto the post and away.

The final whistle brought relief to Manager Nicky English and his young team, with a home win secured, a mid-table position in the league table and cause for cautious optimism at an increasingly potent strike force and a solid defensive display.

Whyteleafe: Borrett, Brown, Aldous, Fleming, Laud-Anderson (Dudley 78), Stripp, Thomas, Ingram, Garrick, Clare (Gnamore 50), Simpson. Subs not used: Agyei, Huell, Brockhurst.