Broadbridge Heath Bears made it five games unbeaten following this 3-0 home win over fellow Isthmian League side Herne Bay on Tuesday night with striker Mark Goldson leading the scoring with his second hat-trick in three games.

Heath Manager Chris Simmons match day plans were thrown into disarray before the game even kicked off when centre-midfield dynamo Matt Hay pulled up with a groin strain during the warm-up and was replaced in the starting line-up by Stan Berry.

The Bears started well and with only 2 minutes on the clock a move down the right saw Sean Terry link up with Berry who played the ball into the penalty area to Goldson who dinked the ball over the advancing goalkeeper but wide of the post.

In a half of few chances the Bears came close to breaking the deadlock on 35 minutes when Callum Dowdell advanced down the left before cutting inside and playing the ball into the path of Mason Doughty who took a touch before drilling a low left foot shot across the face of goal which was saved at full stretch by the visitor’s goalkeeper Josh Bexon pushing it out for a corner.

Deep into first half injury time Berry received the ball in the centre of the park and played it forward to Sal Marino who took a touch with his right boot to setup a right foot strike from 25 yards that dipped over Bexon and crashed against the crossbar, Goldson following up like all good strikers should, had the simple task of heading the rebound into an empty net from 6 yards for his 9th goal since joining the Bears.

Heath scored their second goal 15 minutes into the restart when Doughty received the ball on the halfway line and played a pass between two defenders to allow Marino to sprint away down the left before playing the ball across the goal to an unmarked Goldson, 12 yards from goal who steered the ball home with his left foot.

With 15 minutes remaining the visitors, trying to reduce the deficit, took a corner from the right which was headed clear by Tad Bromage, gathered by Doughty who beat a defender to the ball and sprinted away with three other Heath players running against a solitary Bay defender, Doughty picked out Dowdell who drew the defender before slipping the ball in to Goldson who drilled a low left foot shot past Bexon to complete the scoring.

On the plus side it was great to see Tad Bromage back in the starting line-up having missed the previous six games through injury and also great to see young Under 23 striker Eugene Moteane come off the bench for his senior debut, I’m sure there’ll be a few more of those to come before the season finally. On the downside the injury to Matt Hay is a concern, with our midfield already decimated through injuries.

Next up for The Bears is another home fixture when we welcome AFC Croydon Athletic to the BodyMould Stadium on Saturday 21st December, Kick Off 3.00.

Team: Hadfield, Terry (Archard 86), Chesworth, Marino, Bromage, Peters, Dowdell, Parmiter (Waddingham 73), Goldson, Berry (Croal 65), Doughty (Moteane 83).