ROBINS MAKE HEAVY WEATHER OF TAKING TYE OUT OF VASE
There are not many people who love football more than Hassocks boss Dave John. But even he must be finding watching his team a torturous pastime of late.
The Robins have produced some truly outstanding performances this season, good enough to have them third in the Sussex County League standings.
Title favourites Littlehampton Town have been hammered at the Beacon and Eastbourne Town used up a season’s worth of a luck to escape with a point.
That is what makes Hassocks’ current form all the more difficult to swallow. In their last three games, the Robins have lacked a yard of pace, mad bad decisions and seem devoid of confidence.
Those factors combined again away at Peacehaven & Telscombe and they almost – almost – saw Hassocks suffer an embarrassing exit from the FA Vase.
The once-proud Tye are currently bottom of Division Two without a single point to their name. And yet with a little luck, they would have eliminated a side some 35 places above them in the County League pyramid.
Peacehaven were desperately unfortunate to hit the woodwork twice before being sunk by James Laing and Pat Harding goals in the last 18 minutes.
Martin Flynn was the first home player to leave the frame of the goal rattling, crashing and effort against the crossbar on 17 minutes.
The rebound bounced kindly down to Mark Aylock and it required a superlative Joel Harding save to prevent the Tye taking the lead.
Aylock became the second the man to hit the woodwork, this time on the hour. Hassocks were caught out trying to play across the back and although it appeared as though Aylock’s lofted effort over Harding might dip under the bar, Hassocks were relieved to see it cannon off the top instead and out for a goal kick.
Most of the game was painful to watch. In fact, most of the entertainment was provided by success-starved home fans who went from surprise that their side were competing to bewildered that they had not progressed to the first round proper of the competition.
Hassocks had plenty of the ball but too often the final pass or cross let them down. There was also a very obvious reluctance to take some kind of responsibility and have a shot; another sign of the damage two scoreless Division One games against struggling Sidlesham and East Grinstead Town has done to belief in the camp.
The best chance the Robins could muster in the first half came when Tye goalkeeper Tom Harvey did really well to thwart Harding with a fine reflex stop just before the break.
Laing had earlier had a shot on the turn deflected inches wide on his return to the side after missing the previous two matches with a groin problem.
It was fairly obvious that poor Laing was not fully fit but he had declared himself available, knowing he is away for the midweek John O’Hara League Cup game at Lancing and next Saturday’s Sussex RUR Charity Cup trip to Selsey.
That will give Laing a fortnight to recover. Goodness knows Hassocks need him back to full fitness as his quality has been badly missed, especially the way in which he acts as the perfect foil for Harding.
Anyway, the gamble in keeping Laing on for the full 90 paid off as it was he who made the all important breakthrough on 72 minutes.
Something of a goalmouth scramble broke out. Hassocks had three efforts in quick succession and following each one, Peacehaven players got drawn more and more to the ball like a moth to the flame.
As a result, Laing was left completely free when the ball fell to him from 12 yards out and he easily beat Harvey.
Taking the lead did at least seem to prick the ears of Hassocks and for a brief moment, they produced the sort of flowing football they have shown themselves capable of before this recent slump.
A passing move worked the ball some 60 yards up the pitch to create a chance fired just wide by Stuart Faith, pushed back into midfield with John able to call upon his favoured back three of Ashley Low, Chris Hewitt and Nick Newman for the first time in three weeks.
Faith put his more advanced role to good use with a sublime through ball to set up the second Hassocks goal, but the Robins first had to survive a scare as Tye substitute Ryan Walton was desperately close to equalising.
All home hope was though extinguished with three minutes remaining. Harding ran onto that pass from Faith and lifted over Harvey to wrap things up for Hassocks – much to the relief not only of visiting fans, but the vast majority watching. Extra time would surely have been a penance rather than a blessing!
Hassocks: Joel Harding; Mickey Turner, Nick Newman, Chris Hewitt, Ashley Low, Richard Thompson; Ian Dawson, Graham Beveridge, Stuart Faith; James Laing, Pat Harding.
Subs: Belal Shaban (Dawson 79), Ashley Marsh, Nathan Harvey, Steve Hudson, Phil Wickwar (unused).
