Hill weather a second half storm to take three points

On the way to today’s match, the radio began to play a 1981 classic by Madness, Grey Day- and it seemed entirely appropriate. Looking out the window, the weather was- to use a word beloved by the meteorologist on BBC Breakfast- “mizzling,” cold and anything but cheerful. And it seemed rather peculiar and a little wrong to be arriving at a football ground when it wasn’t even lunchtime, almost as if the Pitching In Isthmian League was subject to BT Sport coverage.

Once at Burgess Hill Town’s More Than Tyres Stadium however- Leylands Park for the old school amongst you- a different song by the Nutty Boys came to mind. No, not that little known classic One Step Beyond Wivelsfield, but House of Fun- although the vibe, not the reference to prophylactics!

This is always a cheerful place to watch football; indeed it tends to remain rather positive even if the home side are losing. The Hillians faithful are an irrepressible bunch, raucous and supportive of their side even if things aren’t going too well, and they were in good form prior to todays match against Sittingbourne, thronging the bar and queuing for burgers at the Back of the Net tea bar.

It also helped that the visiting faithful, even when they aren’t occupying their favourite vantage point of Blakey’s Garden Shed, are also the type to brighten up what may look like another weary day. Both sets of supporters together was going to bring sunshine, despite the showers.

On the pitch, it was difficult to know what to expect. The Hillians had a terrible start to the season but had improved markedly since, and with a L-W-L-W-L record in their last five were due a W. Their visitors would also believe they are overdue a win, having taken three points- all draws- from their last twenty one.

The players emerged from the tunnel two minutes before the start, the hosts did a last minute touchline warm up whilst the visitors did a kind of Kentish Morris dance, and we were off. The Brickies launched the ball forward to their big number eighteen, Duane Acheampong, and Hill repelled the danger- before launching an attack of their own, Dan Perry forcing the first save of the afternoon from Matt Cafer.

The early stages were rather end to end, but on six minutes the visitors were denied the opening goal only by two millimetres of paint. A great crossfield ball was expertly controlled by Matt Warren, to the right of the box. His shot beat Will Huffer, but not the woodwork.

Almost immediately at the other end, only a goal line clearance stopped Sam Remfry from opening the scoring for the hosts- but they had the opener two minutes later. Cafer saved the first effort, but Dan Perry was there to convert the rebound. Perry, a veteran of wonderful Hill days from the middle of the last decade, has been in scintillating form of late, and this was his seventeen goal of the season, and fourth of the week following a midweek County Cup hat trick. The hosts kept up the pressure, and almost had a second soon afterwards, Remfry’s effort going narrowly wide.

Hill dominated the first quarter of an hour, leading to consternation and not a little frustration on the visitors bench- although a Brickies attack then annoyed Hill’s Max Miller so much that there were people in Brighton complaining about the noise. If he played for Whitehawk- not that we’re advocating that- the nearby Marina wouldn’t need a foghorn.

A mazy run from Youssouf Bamba was the catalyst for the visitors best spell of the game so far, but the home defence held firm- and at the other end Perry was winning everything that came his way. Only a great Cafer save denied him a second on twenty one minutes- but his side should have had a second five minutes later, Perry robbing a defender, Lewis Finney unable to beat the onrushing keeper. Finney immediately made up for that, however, as from the resulting corner he curled a beauty into the top corner. The Brickies bench yelled to their charges to “take some responsibility,” but they were being comprehensively outplayed and were second to almost everything.

A rare visiting foray saw Donvieve Jones fire a shot right across the box seven minutes before the break, but at this point the most notable feature of their play was their continual moaning at the referee and his Assistant. If they wanted a scapegoat for their performance so far, he wasn’t wearing black. Indeed, the referee helped them out, Perry going down in the area and being booked for diving when a penalty was being screamed for by the home faithful. In truth, it probably wasn’t a penalty- but it probably wasn’t a dive, either; a fifty-fifty ball, both players at full tilt, and a nudge which imbalanced both protagonists.

Half time, two-nil, and the tannoy playing It Must Be Love. It seemed Madness were on all of our minds.

Sittingbourne looked determined as the second half started. They began to dominate possession, without really creating very much, but they did earn a corner seven minutes after the restart after good work by Bamba, far and away their most dangerous player. So worried were the hosts that even Perry dropped back to defend, and he was called upon.

Another corner saw Jones head slightly, agonisingly wide- but at this point, and for the first time in the match, it was Hill on the back foot, and their fans doing the grumbling.

Just after the hour Hill could have extended their lead- a cross from Miller crying out to be converted- but we almost immediately had a goal, and it came at the other end, Mario Quiassaca forcing the ball home after a quick Brickies break. Suddenly, a match which could have seen the hosts out of sight in the first half was in the balance, and a nervousness crept over the occupants of the main stand. They were even more nervous when a fine cross from Bamba arrowed towards the head of Correy Davidson, but his header was too close to Huffer and comfortably held.

Sittingbourne remained on top as we entered the last twenty minutes, with the ball spending most of its time in the Hill half, and the hosts regularly resorting to hoofing it clear- in total contrast to the opening period. We reached the last ten with the pattern unchanged, and Hill trying to slow the game down whenever possible, but only one side looked like scoring, and it was the visitors- although, in truth, they didn’t look too much like scoring, for all their possession. That changed with three minutes left, when finally, finally, they began to exert real pressure- and only a diving save from Huffer kept out a Bagusan Graham header. The hosts had everyone behind the ball, and then they had four added minutes to hold out.

Perry was replaced by Charlie Pitcher, and the departing number nine deserved his ovation, although he’d been rather frustrated in the second half and left to plough a lone furrow. Into the last half minute, and the Brickies earned a corner, with even keeper Cafer up. Sadly for the travelling fans, it didn’t get any further than the front post, and even worse, resulted in a goal kick. That was that, and the hosts had the points.

Hill probably deserved their victory if only for their attacking flair in the first half, but the Brickies made them work for it after the break. That W-L pattern continues for Hill, whilst the visitors wait for a win stretches to eight matches.

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