We have to be up for ‘scrap’
Haywards Heath Town boss Martin Dynan reflected on a feisty 3-2 loss to Three Bridges and said: We have to be prepared for scraps like that.
The manager said Heath needed to get the better of teams who wanted to engage in ‘something other than a football match’ - as well as taking on the top teams.
The defeat left Heath clinging on to their place in the Isthmian south-east play-off zone. They’re fifth ahead of this Saturday’s awkward looking visit to Sittingbourne but only a point in front of sixth spot.
Goals either side of half-time saw Heath battle back from two down to level it at 2-2 against Bridges – only for the visitors to win it late on.
Dynan said: “It’s all well and good playing the top sides, they’re easy to motivate yourself for.
“It’s playing the teams at the bottom of the table, and mid-table, who turn up to create a scrap - something other than a football match.
“Yes, I want us to get on the ball and take the game to teams but we must learn to get in amongst it and get past the scrap.”
It was a lively game at Hanbury
Park and the Heath - with a conservative goalscoring record in the league - were drawn into a fiery battle that produced seven cards and five goals.
The first card for Haywards Heath’s Sinnkaye Christie on 13 minutes led to the first Bridges’ goal. He pulled down a Bridges’ forward as he broke 25 yards out. Curtis Gayler stepped up to smash the ball through the laces to the top-centre of Billy Collings’ goal to make it 1-0.
They were punished again mark when Bryan Villavicencio arrived in the box to slam home a low Charlie Lambert cross which came off the bar and off Hamish Morrison’s back on the way in.
Out of nowhere, Heath made it 2-1 when Bridges keeper Mitch Bromage scored a howler of an own-goal with the ball seemingly bouncing wide.
Five minutes after the restart, Heath striker Trevor McCreadie was brought down on the edge of the Bridges area and a penalty was given. He slammed it home himself.
With five minutes to go a freekick caught out the Blues defence and Dan Perry raced through on goal and looped it over Collings.
Tuesday brought a brilliant 3-2 Heath win at home to Worthing in the Velocity Trophy – see coverage of the quarter-final win online at