THE INITIATIVE FROM YUSSUF
INVICTA scored three second-half goals to win by this scoreline at home for a second successive festive fixture at the Fullicks Stadium.
Top goal-scorer Ade Yusuff opened their account with a wellstruck 62nd-minute shot from the right-hand side after a great crossfield ball from Sam Hasler.
It was 2-0 in the 69th minute when Kieron McCann’s ball in from the left sailed over goalkeeper James Shaw and into the far corner of the net.
It was a move started by substitute Nat Blanks and Hasler. But McCann’s reaction suggested it had been a cross rather than a shot.
Invicta increased their lead in the 78th minute when Scott Heard applied a good finish from the left side of the penalty area after Ian Draycott had threaded a good ball through to him.
Burgess Hill pulled a consolation goal back in the 90th minute when Lee Harding rifled in his shot after a ball from the right.
“Credit to the players who kept plugging away,” said longserving Invicta manager Neil Cugley.
“Burgess Hill came here with a game plan and credit to them for making it difficult for us.
“But, once we had our noses in front, the game opened up and our players did well to keep going and not get frustrated.”
Invicta had the ball in the net as early as the third minute when defender Finn O’Mara’s cross from the left sailed into the net, but the effort was ruled out by an assistant referee’s flag for offside.
At the other end, Pat Harding stabbed the ball wide in the 19th minute after he had led a counter-attack and Lee Harding did well on the right.
Burgess Hill had a good chance during first-half stoppage time when Charlie Bennett went round home goalkeeper Tim Roberts and played the ball back to Aaron Smith-Joseph,
Hasler was just wide again in the 74th minute, while Yusuff took the ball into the box and hit a low shot just wide two minutes later.
After they had pulled a goal back, Burgess Hill went forward again through substitute Tony Garrod in stoppage time.
However, his shot deflected for a corner and there was no further reward for them . whose shot was cleared off the line by Invicta captain Callum Davies.
But Invicta were to win the game with their second half display and Jordan Wright shot narrowly off target in the 58th minute from a Draycott touch after Hasler had combined well with Heard.
A 66th-minute Hasler shot across goal flew narrowly wide after Yusuff had held the ball up on the left.