By Adam Donlevy

The Hillians secured third place as braces from both Stefan Vukoje and Harry Lawson saw us beat local rivals Three Bridges 4-0.  

There were four changes from the side that drew at Sittingbourne on Good Friday, with Reggie Ward, Harry Lawson, Stefan Vukoje and Ben Pope coming into the side for Bobby Price, Ryan Worrall, Chris Whelpdale and Brannon O’Neill.

The visitors had a great chance to open the scoring just four minutes in, but Reece Hallard mishit his volley. Just three minutes later, the Hillians got the first goal through Harry Lawson, who scored his first senior goal at Leylands Park. Jay Beckford put a cross into the box, and after three blocked Hill shots it fell to Lawson who fired his shot into the top left corner.

Three Bridges almost levelled the score through Hallard, who was picked out with an over the top through ball but his near-post shot was saved well by Slav Huk. The Hillians almost doubled their lead in the 26th minute, when a header from a Box corner was cleared off the line.

Burgess Hill then doubled the lead in the 35th minute through Stefan Vukoje. Nathan Cooper played a brilliant through ball in behind to Hamish Morrison who cut it back for Vukoje to fire a low driven shot across goal.

Former Hillian Reece Hallard continued to be a threat for the rest of the first half. He had a free kick from a good area saved shortly before he cut inside from the left wing and fired another shot at Huk.

Just 10 minutes after the break, Vukoje scored his second of the game to put the Hillians 3-0 up. Pope played a ball out to Box on the left wing and his cross found Vukoje at the back post, who finished from close range.

Three Bridges’ afternoon went from bad to worse in the 72nd minute after former Hillian Ben Holden was sent off for an off-ball incident where he kicked out at Harry Lawson. Just five minutes later, Pope had a one-on-one opportunity to add a fourth, but he mishit his shot, and it trickled wide.

The rest of the game was dominated by the Hill, and we eventually got our fourth in the 79th minute through Harry Lawson. The ball was crossed from the left to Vukoje, who used his body excellently to shield the ball and lay it off to Lawson to find the far corner from the edge of the box.

With ten minutes to go, Lewis Taylor came on to make his final Hill appearance at Leylands Park before his retirement at the end of the season. Hill only had a couple of half chances from that point, with Ward firing a volley wide of the target before Kieron Rowe had a long shot saved.

The final whistle for full-time went and the Hill gained three points, which secured third place in the league and the home advantage for the play-off semi-final against Margate on the 29th  of April at 7:30pm.

Stefan Vukoje was named Brickworks Player of the Match by match sponsors Mitchell Roofing Services in front of an impressive Bank Holiday Monday crowd of 883.

HILL: Slav Huk, Reggie Ward, Hamish Morrison (Bobby Price 78), Harry Lawson (Lewis Taylor 81), Nathan Cooper, Logan Dobbs (Ryan Worrall 72), Jay Beckford (Chris Whelpdale 46), Kieran Rowe, Ben Pope (Brannon O’Neill 86), Stefan Vukoje, Martyn Box.

Brickworks Player of the Match: Stefan Vukoje