JOHN BREAKS RANK TO RUE REFEREE AND HIS BELOW-PAR ROBINS
Hassocks boss Dave John is not one to publicly complain normally but even he felt moved to comment on the performances of the officials as the Robins fell to a 3-1 defeat away at Hailsham Town.
John said afterwards that all three of the Stringers goals were contentious and that his side deserved a slightly better rub of the green.
He also accepted that his side were nowhere near the standards they had set in midweek when hammering Littlehampton Town 3-0 at the Beacon, never really firing on all cylinders.
The Robins were not helped by injuries to the evergreen Andy Fisk and top scorer James Laing, both of whom battled through the pain barrier but were clearly struggling to have their normal impact on the game.
Despite having an injury-hit squad, it was Hassocks who started the better and Hailsham were no doubt grateful to have Martin Richardson back in their defence.
Without the interventions of the classy Richardson, Hassocks might well have opened up a lead before the officials conspired to gift Hailsham three goals, the first of which arrived on 23 minutes.
The Stringers won a succession of corners and it was from the last of these that Nick Newman was bundled out of the way when attempting to clear, leaving Richardson free in the box to stab home the loose ball.
Most felt that a foul should have been awarded for the rugby tackle on Newman. The man whose opinion mattered did not agree and so the goal stood.
Hassocks were level within five minutes, Laing converting a penalty after Graham Beveridge was flattened in the box just as he was about to pull the trigger.
Beveridge never really recovered from that and he had to be replaced five minutes before half time by Ian Dawson. The Robins’ injury list shows no sign of abating.
Hassocks had fallen behind again before Beveridge left the action. In fact, they were level for only three minutes before the Stringers retook the lead.
A throw was controversially awarded to Hailsham when it looked like it should be a Hassocks ball. This caught the Robins out, resulting in some quite questionable defending which home striker Ashley Jarvis duly punished with a smart finish past Joel Harding following a quick passing break.
Hassocks nearly responded in rapid time again, a goal bound shot appearing to strike a yellow shirted arm in the box. The referee was not interested however and signalled instead for a corner which the Robins were wasteful with.
Hassocks came out for the second half clearly intent on obtaining an equaliser and they enjoyed an excellent 20 minute spell immediately after the restart.
It surely would have produced a goal on any other occasion but Hailsham goalkeeper Mark Oldroyd was having one of those games where nothing was getting past him.
Oldroyd saved well in particular from Joe Fernley and Pat Harding, at which point away supporters were probably beginning to realise that this was not going to be their afternoon.
That feeling was confirmed on 74 minutes. Having weathered the storm, Hailsham were able to regain a foothold playing on the counter and it was from one such break that Jarvis added his second and the Stringers’ third to make the game safe.
Jarvis found himself one-on-one with Harding and he made no mistake, clinically beating the Hassocks goalkeeper. The problem with this goal from a Robins point of view? A handball in the build up but again played was waved on following Hassocks appeals.
Hassocks: Joel Harding; Mickey Turner, Nick Newman, Chris Hewitt, Ashley Low, Richard Thompson; Joe Fernley, Ashley Fisk, Graham Beveridge; James Laing, Pat Harding.
Subs: Ian Dawson (Beveridge 42), Belal Shaban (Fisk 66), Steve Hudson (unused).
Starman: Captain Chris Hewitt tried to lead from the front.
