Heath Under 23s travelled to second placed Horley Town on Thursday 13th February for a SCFL U23 North division match.

For the game the home-side fielded a strong side with the maximum number of over-age players and a side with plenty of first team experience. While there was a familiar face in Heath’s line-up that of Jack Frankland whose been out for over a year through injury.

Unfortunately Jack’s lack of match fitness was evident in the 11th minute when the Heath defender upended The Clarets Joe Perry in the penalty area and after a long delay, while the player was treated by the physio, Cameron Gyeabour stepped up to put his side ahead with a right foot shot from the resulting spot kick.

The Bears drew level on 33 minutes when Eugene Moteane won the ball off a Horley defender and played a delightful lob from 18 yards over the advancing goalkeeper into the net and it remained 1-1 at the break.

The hosts regained the lead within minutes of the restart when a corner from the left found its way to Jake Roberts who struck a fierce right foot shot from 12 yards into the back of the net.

Again Heath fought back and levelled on 64 minutes when a corner from the left avoided everyone and was played back into the danger area by Jack Rhioui to Adam Duneclift to score his first goal of the season from 8 yards.

The Clarets regained the lead on 73 minutes when a sliced clearance flew up in the air and went straight to Gyeabour who nodded it into the net from 6 yards.

Gyeabour was involved in Horley’s fourth as well when he carried the ball across the 18 yards box before leaving it to Lewes Barker-Bateman to hit a left foot curler into the top left corner giving Heath keeper Oli Courtney no chance of stopping. Gyeabour completed his hat-trick 3 minutes from time firing in a right foot shot from 12 yards past Courtney into the roof of the net.

There was still time for Heath to grab a late consolation in time added-on when a corner from the left was turned in at the far post by Duneclift for his second of the match before the game ended with Horley Town picking up the points in a 5-3 win.

Next up for The Bears is a trip to St Francis Rangers on Thursday 20th February, that match kicks off at 7,30 and a week later we’re at home to division leaders Hassocks, that match will kick off at 7.45.

Team: Thompson, Brill, Louw, Dunningham, Frankland, Duneclift, Cranfield, Wraight, Moteane, Kent, Hayes. Subs: Rhioui, Courtney, Imperiale, Cumming, Ahmed.