Nico Cotton struck home just past the hour to help Haywards Heath come from behind to defeat Tunbridge Wells at Hanbury in their Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round tie on a very warm day in West Sussex.
The hosts came into this one as slight favourite seeing as they were a league above their opponents, and they had also won their first two games in the Bet Victor South East Division to sit top after two games.
The visitors though had won all three of their games in the South East Counties League to sit top as well, and they had defeated Pagham away in the Extra Preliminary Round by a score line of 2-0, so they were sure to be difficult opponents for the home side no doubt.
The opening fifteen minutes saw the hosts get into a good shooting position but then fail to pull the trigger, whilst the hosts keeper managed to punch clear under pressure from the visiting side, but not much else happened in the early exchanges.
The visitors then saw an effort blocked on the edge of the box before the hosts broke down the left but ended up shooting tamely at the keeper, and then midway through the half the referee halted play for a couple of minutes for a drinks break as it was very hot out there. It had certainly been a rather slow-paced encounter thus far so we all hoped the drinks would liven it up a bit!!!
The hosts saw a free-kick from the right glanced straight at the keeper, before the home side really should have broke the deadlock but saw a header from point blank range straight at the keeper again.
But then from nowhere in the 33rd minute Tunbridge Wells struck as a brilliant quick free-kick released Danny Powell down the left-hand side and he fired home a superb finish from the angle and put the Step Five visitors into the lead.
Haywards Heath then fired wide as they looked to try and find a response before the break, and moments before half time they won a very soft penalty kick it has to be said, but the hosts took full advantage as Callum Saunders rolled home the spot-kick to level the tie up.
In first half stoppage time the visitors were unhappy after the hosts keeper had fouled one of their attacker’s way outside the box, but with covering defenders about, this could be the reason why the referee chose to book the keeper and not send him off. There were also shouts for handball by the keeper too but I didn’t see this clearly enough.
The resulting free-kick was then brilliantly saved by the keeper, and it meant the teams went into the break all square. It had certainly been a slow burner this one so far, and had certainly livened up in the final fifteen minutes of the period.
Half Time Haywards Heath Town 1 Tunbridge Wells 1
The hosts looped a header onto the roof of the net early in the second period, and then a decent chance fell to the home side again as the ball fell to them inside the box, but a poor sliced finish went way wide of the target.
The hosts went close again, firing across goal and wide, but just beyond the hour mark their early second half pressure told as Cotton fired home a brilliant effort from twenty or so yards out into the bottom corner and the hosts had turned this one around.
However, once the home side had gone in front the visitors began to threaten a leveller, and almost immediately responded but sent an effort straight at the keeper, before another effort from the edge of the box went wide.
The visitors then somehow failed to level when a cross into the six yard box was fired at goal from point blank range but the ball hit the keeper on the line and stayed out, and with the hosts hanging on somewhat cleared another visitors effort off the line as the clocked slowly clicked towards ninety minutes.
In the several minutes of stoppage time that followed the hosts did have chances to seal it, firstly curling miles wide from a good position, and then secondly seeing a goal-bound effort blocked by a defender.
And then the hosts missed what proved to be the final act of the game when curling wide from eight yards out when it looked easier to score, but it mattered not as Haywards Heath progressed into the First Qualifying Round of the competition. Well played to both teams who gave it all in searing heat is has to be said!!!
Full Time Haywards Heath Town 2 Tunbridge Wells 1
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