Match report written by Lee Witney.
Maldon & Tiptree suffered a fifth straight league defeat as Burgess Hill ran out 4-1 winners on Saturday. New Jammers boss Steve Butterworth has wasted little time in starting the work of reshaping the Maldon squad. There were no fewer than four new faces in the starting line-up with another among the substitutes. Jesse Olukolu, Ade Cole, Aron Pollock and Finley Corrigan all started. There was a place on the bench for Cameron Forde-Brown.
The first chance of the afternoon fell the way of the visitors. An inviting ball into the box from the outside of Samuel Adeyeye’s boot just missed the head of Chaynie Burgin.
After a relatively quiet period, Burgess took the lead in the 23rd minute. Reggie Ward cut in onto his right and curled home past the dive of Sebastian Thrussell from 25 yards out.
Three minutes later, the hosts doubled their lead when ex-Maldon man, Chris Whelpdale slotted home George Vorster’s corner at the back post.
The Hillians were moving through the gears and looked the more likely to add to their tally. Whelpdale was denied a second as his header came back off the crossbar. Harry Lawson and Ben Pope also saw chances come and go for the home side.
A two-goal deficit at the break was perhaps kind to The Jammers, but they were still in the game.
Seven minutes after the restart, Kieran Rowe added a third for Burgess, hammering into the roof of the net after his initial effort was blocked.
The Jammers pulled a goal back two minutes later through Ibby Akanbi. Hill goalkeeper, Roco Rees mistimed his clearance of a backpass and swung at thin air. Akanbi was on hand to roll the ball into a virtually empty net to give Maldon a lifeline.
Rees redeemed himself in the 67th minute, as he thwarted Akanbi from close range following Forde-Brown’s cross. The keeper got the luck the save deserved as the ball spun past the far post and out for a corner.
Thrussell denied Whelpdale with a great tip over the bar ten minutes later as momentum soon swung back in favour of the hosts. Vorster added a fourth for the hosts in the 82nd minute, converting Charlie Lambert’s cross to seal the points.
A better showing from midweek will give the Jammers faithful and Butterworth some cause for optimism heading into Tuesday’s fixture at home to Welling United.
Match facts
- Full-time: Burgess Hill Town 4–1 Maldon & Tiptree
- Isthmian League - Premier Division
- Date: 2026-10-03
- Kick-off: 15:00
- Venue: The Medical Travel Compared Stadium
- Half-time: 2 – 0
- Referee: Joshua Langley-Fineing
- Attendance: 898
Goals and match events
- 23′ — Goal: Reggie Ward (23') (Burgess Hill Town)
- 26′ — Goal: Chris Whelpdale (26') (Burgess Hill Town)
- 45′ — Yellow card: Emmanuel Adebiyi · Yellow card (Maldon & Tiptree)
- 45′ — Yellow card: Ade Cole · Yellow card (Maldon & Tiptree)
- 46′ — substitution: Ibby Akanbi · substitution (Maldon & Tiptree)
- 46′ — substitution: Cameron Forde-Brown · substitution (Maldon & Tiptree)
- 46′ — substitution: Jaden Brissett · substitution (Maldon & Tiptree)
- 52′ — Goal: Kieran Rowe (52') (Burgess Hill Town)
- 55′ — Goal: Ibby Akanbi (55') (Maldon & Tiptree)
- 56′ — substitution: Rhamar Garrett-Douglas · substitution (Maldon & Tiptree)
- 58′ — Yellow card: Jermaine Anderson · Yellow card (Maldon & Tiptree)
- 62′ — Yellow card: Ibby Akanbi · Yellow card (Maldon & Tiptree)
- 68′ — substitution: Charlie Lambert · substitution (Burgess Hill Town)
- 72′ — Yellow card: Chris Whelpdale · Yellow card (Burgess Hill Town)
- 73′ — Yellow card: Jesse Olukolu · Yellow card (Maldon & Tiptree)
- 79′ — substitution: Yoan Edoukou · substitution (Burgess Hill Town)
- 82′ — Goal: George Vorster (82') (Burgess Hill Town)
- 82′ — substitution: Jay Beckford · substitution (Burgess Hill Town)
- 88′ — substitution: Brad Barry · substitution (Burgess Hill Town)
- 88′ — substitution: Shamir Daniel Sanchez Fenelon · substitution (Burgess Hill Town)
- 90′ — Yellow card: Reggie Ward · Yellow card (Burgess Hill Town)
Burgess Hill Town line-up
Starting XI
1. Roco Rees, 2. Hamish Morrison, 3. Reggie Ward, 4. Joel Daly, 5. Luca Cocoracchio, 6. Jack Strange, 7. George Vorster, 8. Kieran Rowe (captain), 9. Ben Pope, 10. Chris Whelpdale, 12. Harry Lawson
Substitutes
11. Charlie Lambert, 14. Brad Barry, 15. Jay Beckford, 16. Shamir Daniel Sanchez Fenelon, 17. Yoan Edoukou
Maldon & Tiptree line-up
Starting XI
1. Sebastian Beau Thrussell, 2. Jermaine Anderson, 5. Tom Eastman (captain), 6. Emmanuel Adebiyi, 7. Jesse Olukolu, 8. Ade Cole, 11. Samuel Adeyeye, 14. Scott Simmons, 16. Aron Pollock, 18. Finlay Corrigan, 19. Chaynie Burgin
Substitutes
4. Rhamar Garrett-Douglas, 9. Ibby Akanbi, 10. Cameron Forde-Brown, 12. Marlon Agyakwa, 17. Jaden Brissett
Match information supplied by Football Web Pages — match details.