Metropolitan Police 2 Burgess Hill Town 1

A sparse crowd were thoroughly entertained at Imber Court on Thursday night with a Ryman Division One South game played at great pace that seemed to go up a notch with both sides continuing to give their all well into stoppage time.

The Blues, following their deserved win away on Monday night at Ashford Town, were obviously fighting for their pride and, more importantly for manager Jim Cooper, to get into their right frame of mind for their London Senior Cup final appearance against AFC Wimbledon at Harrow Borough FC on April 28.

Burgess Hill Town, on the other hand, are still in with a chance to reach the play-offs and their attitude seemed to be win at all costs.

A number of particularly cynical fouls were committed during the game.

Burgess Hill striker Lloyd Skinner, well into first-half stoppage time, went in hard on Blues midfielder Nicky Humphrey well after he had cleared the ball.

Humphrey hobbled off and took no further part in the match, and is now doubtful for the rest of the season.

Skinner was lucky to escape with a yellow card.

It got worse within two minutes of the start of the second half, as the visitors’ captain Leo Day went in with studs on Blues striker Jamie Reed. Again, he escaped with only a yellow card. The Blues opened the scoring on 23 minutes, thanks to an opportunist strike by Craig Brown, picking up a cross in the goal area and slotting the ball home.

It was a deserved goal for the Blues, but they relaxed slightly and, within a minute, Burgess Hill Town had swept up field.

Midfielder Steve Harper was allowed unchallenged to run at the goal and drive the ball into the roof of the net for the equaliser.

Minutes later, Skinner had a shot cleared off the goal line by Blues defender Elliott Taylor, with the away side supporters already celebrating a goal.

Into the second half and the pace increased with every touch of the ball.

On 47 minutes, substitute Blues striker Jamie Reed had driven home a cross for his first goal for the Blues and more important to put them 2-1 up. It was then mostly one-way traffic as the Blues strode forward to put the result beyond doubt.

A Reed drive was inches wide. A Gary Drewett cross found Phil Ruggles, whose header shaved the cross bar.

Ruggles then broke free on the halfway line, with Brown level with him.

He chose to have a shot at goal that flew over the bar, when his best option may have been to pass inside to an unmarked Brown.

It was then the turn of Ruggles and Reed to work a good one-two, only for Reed to volley the ball over the bar having done all the hard work.

With the game well into stoppage time, Ruggles finally found the target but visiting keeper Chris Winterton saved the shot. With just two league matches remaining, the Blues will be looking to finish the season in similar style.

Met Police: Maan, Taylor, Sutherland, Humphrey, Simpson, Smith, Drewett, Brown, Wilkins, Ruggles, Honey.

SUB USED: Reed, Edwards, Cobden

Attendance 75