Two goals up at the break despite being down to ten men, we had to settle for a point as Burgess Hill struck twice early in the second period.

The game was played at a fast pace from beginning to end. An early cross from Lloyd Cotton bounced off the top of our bar, and in one of our first attacks an overhead kick from Carl Hutchins went straight into the arms of keeper. Visiting striker Mark Pulling then missed a great chance heading wide when unmarked after Cotton had hooked the ball across from the byline.

Dean Hamlin was sent off after 17 minutes, presumably for shoving an opposing player after Joe Bye went in late on Dave King, but for the rest of the game we adopted positive tactics, playing with just three at the back, and we were quickly rewarded, taking the lead after 22 minutes, courtesy of a cool finish by Ben Abbey when Ronnie Green played him through.

Green was soon put through into a similar position but this time Winterton knocked the ball away with his right arm. The lead was doubled nine minutes later when Ryan Gray floated a free kick in behind the Burgess Hill defence and Paul Vines steered the ball home.

There was a totally unnecessary incident just before the break when Burgess Hill player Joe Bye, livid at being substituted, smashed a ball into the stand and the face of a spectator. Bye has since been sacked by his club, well done to Burgess Hill for their prompt action.

Unfortunately the visitors struck back five minutes after the break when Nick Fogden beat a couple of challenges down the right hand side of the area before cutting in and curling the ball into the far corner.

We responded immediately and Winterton just managed to push a Paul Vines piledriver over the bar. Burgess Hill were level after 59 minutes, Lloyd Cotton met a cross from the right, and although Dave King saved his header, Cotton forced in the loose ball.

Either side could have won the game, Winterton again pulled off a fine save from a Ryan Gray free kick, and Allan McLeod twice came to the rescue at the back. He produced a timely sliding tackle on sub Kenny Hewitt when we'd been left well short of numbers at the back, and then got a foot in the way of a goalbound volley from Neil Watts.

Photographs of the game on: http://nigelwood.fotopic.net/