After a patchy run of form in a prolonged run of home games it was a return to the road for Bexhill Utd on Saturday afternoon and the little matter of a run inland to high-flying Haywards Heath Town.

It’s only a matter of weeks ago that the Heathens looked as if they were going to run away with the Southern Combination Premier Division title but football is a funny old game and a mixture of postponements, a very good run in the FA Vase and a wobble in form has seen Steyning Town overhaul them at the top of the table.

Heath went into the fixture on the back a penalty shoot-out loss to AFC Stoneham last weekend to exit the Vase and a defeat midweek to Peacehaven & Telscombe.

For Bexhill there were some significant personnel changes. With keeper Toby Whiteside joining Theo Coombs on British Virgin Islands international duty, Finn Holter made a welcome return between the sticks having re-signed during the week. Also back for the Pirates was the imposing figure of Dan Rogers in the heart of the defence alongside Richie Welch.

The home side certainly started on the front foot and after a few early warnings Bexhill found themselves a goal down when Harry Shooman stole some space at the far post to head home a perfectly delivered cross. Just the minute later the lead was doubled, a mix up at the back allowed Mark Goldson to nip in and stick the ball in the back of the net.

Heath had their tails up and looked to kill off the game, Holter pulling off a series of crucial saves while Goldson hit the frame of the goal. Somehow the Pirates weathered the storm and started to break out themselves.

Will Saunders set up Jack Shonk on 35 minutes, his effort rattling the post, the clearest warning that Bexhill were not out of it as they took the fight to their opponents.

Just before the break the goal arrived, Max Hollobone getting forward down the right and his ball into the box finished by Ash Latuske, a crucial time to score and setting up the second half perfectly.

The equaliser for the Pirates was to be another trademark special from Shonk, picking the ball up just inside the opposition half the striker looked up briefly and dispatched the ball over the head of Stroomberg-Clarke and into the net from near on fifty yards out.

Now it was game on and cracks were opening up in the Heathen’s defensive lines. On the hour the Pirates turned the game on it’s head, a perfectly delivered free kick from Hollobone was glanced home by Saunders.

It was an incredible turnaround but there was still plenty of time left in the game for more and on 68 minutes the home side levelled through Cam Lawson. With both sides going at it hammer and tongs, Heath again hit the post.

In truth, the majority of the visiting fans would have taken the final whistle there and then to take a point back down the road but the Pirates players had other ideas.

With the seconds ticking away, Shonk turned provider crossing for Latuske to score his second of the afternoon and what would turn out to be the winner of a pulsating game of football.

The final whistle brought an end to what was probably Bexhill’s finest performance of the season and left Heath wondering how they had let the game slip through their fingers.

It was one mighty advert for Step 5 football and any neutrals present would certainly have gotten their monies worth over the ninety minutes.

The Pirates are back in action next Saturday as they welcome Lingfield to the Polegrove, ko 3pm.

Courtesy of Geoff Morris.