I think it’s fair to say this match was not one for the connoisseur of football, although it did have goals and some contentious moments that will be remembered by some, for quite a long time.

The visitor’s came to the BodyMould Community Stadium on a good run of form which has seen them win three of their last four matches to move off the bottom of the division to within a point of moving out the bottom four relegation places. While the Bears were also in good form with just one league defeat from their previous seven matches.

Phoenix had the first shot at goal on 4 minutes when Isaac Thompson tried his luck with a right foot shot from distance which was gathered comfortably by Heath goalkeeper Alfie Hadfield and 4 minutes later the Phoenix striker was in action again, cutting in from the left and firing a right foot shot from the edge of the box that Hadfield pushed away for a corner.

At the other end Louis Evans sent Mark Goldson away down the left, the Heath striker carried the ball into the penalty area before cutting inside and hitting a right foot shot that was saved well by Phoenix keeper Sam Freeman.

Byron Napper was the next Heath player to try his luck on 25 minutes with a right foot shot from 25 yards that went narrowly wide of the post and on 37 minutes Tyler Anderson went on a run for Phoenix all the way into the Heath penalty area but then sliced his final shot high and wide of target and it remained 0-0 at the break.

Heath created the better chances in the second half with Eugene Moteane and Mark Goldson both having shots blocked and Mason Doughty heading a Goldson cross from the left, wide of the target. On 72 minutes some good work by Goldson down the right flank saw the striker play the ball inside to Moteane whose left foot shot from 18 yards was well saved by Freeman down low to his right but it remained goal-less until the 78th minute.

Phoenix had a throw in on their right side close to the halfway line, the ball was launched forward but intercepted by Tad Bromage powering a header forward which was flicked on by Matt Hay and Goldson was on it in a flash running between two defenders to hit a low shot past Freeman to break the deadlock with his 17th goal of the season for The Bears.

But that lead was short-lived when the visitor’s equalised just 7 minutes later when Thompson broke away down the left flank, cut inside to take a shot but the ball was taken off his boot by Will Efame striking a right foot shot from 20 yards that dipped over Hadfield into the goal.

Heath pushed everyone forward In the final minutes in search of the winning goal, Doughty won the ball off a defender and attempted a low cross from the left which came out to Hay whose first time shot from 18 yard was blocked by a defender, the ball came back to Hay and again his shot was blocked, Moteane then picked up the ball on the right of the penalty area and played it inside to Hay whose attempt to drive into the box came to a halt by Kiye Martin who clipped the Heath midfielders trailing leg, a clear penalty with the Match Referee just yards away but inexplicably instead of pointing to the spot he produced a yellow card for Hay, his second of the match, quickly followed by a red and Heath were down to ten and with that the game came to an end at 1-1.

A good point for the visitors that see them move out of the relegation zone but Heath players, supporters and management will feel they should have been given an opportunity to win the match from what they all consider a stone wall penalty.

Next up for The Bears is a trip to AFC Croydon on Saturday 22nd March.

Team: Hadfield, Fuller, Terry, Napper (Marino 69), Bromage, Peters, Dowdell (Moteane 71), Evans, Goldson, Hay, Adam (Doughty 58).