RAMPANT ROBINS SEE OFF SEAFORD AGAIN TO SET UP QUARTER FINAL DATE WITH HAWKS
Hassocks have now stuck nine cup goals past Division Two outfit Seaford in two matches less than three weeks apart.
And yet for much of the combined 180 minutes played at the Beacon, Seaford had defied their place near the foot of the division below to more than match a Robins side sitting pretty in the dizzy heights of third spot in County One. Football really can be a cruel game.
This Sussex RUR Charity Cup tie under the lights finished 5-0 to the hosts, setting up an interesting away quarter final at Whitehawk.
17 days earlier and Hassocks had seen off Seaford 4-1 in the Sussex Senior Cup, an extremely misleading scoreline given that extra time looked on the cards as late as the 80th minute when the scores were locked at 1-1.
On that occasion, Anthony Hibbert bent a free kick up and over the wall to give the Robins a 2-1 lead with 10 minutes remaining.
Matt Amos then added some gloss, impressively finishing off two counter attacks in injury time as Seaford poured forward in search of the draw they probably deserved.
Hassocks were at least worthy winners on this occasion, although not by five clear goals based on what we saw in the opening 45 minutes.
“I was not too chuffed about the first half,” said Dave John afterwards. “No complaints about the second though, it was an absolute barrage.”
There was a scrappy start to the tie, with referee Ian Butler far too whistle happy and not allowing the game to ebb and flow to the frustration of both sets of players.
A gusty wind and wet surface also made for difficult conditions. Ashley Marsh found that out first hand – literally – on 25 minutes when a ball skidded off the pitch and straight into his hand.
The Hassocks defender had little-to-no time to pull his arm out of the way and yet Mr Butler deemed it worthy of a yellow card. John was vocal in his disagreement with that decision.
Chances were few and far between. The impressive Matt Robbins came closest when his glancing header was hooked off the line by a Seaford defender.
The visitors meanwhile were restricted to speculative long distance efforts. Tom Chapman’s dipping half volley caused Joel Harding the most concern. The Hassocks goalkeeper scurried across his goal as the effort fell just wide of the post.
With three minutes of the first half to go, the Robins broke the deadlock. For all the calls from the Hassocks bench to keep the ball on the deck, it was a hoof out of defence which led to the opening.
Chris Hewitt hit a high ball which the swirling wind carried over the top of the Seaford back line with Amos in hot pursuit.
Seaford goalkeeper Graham Webb was caught in two minds about how far to come. When Webb then misjudged the bounce, Amos headed the ball past him before coolly sweeping into the empty net.
John did not underestimate the importance of that goal in setting Hassocks up for victory: “Just like a couple of weeks ago, they were giving us a good game until Amos scored out of nowhere.”
Webb did not have the best of games and he was at fault for the Robins’ second goal on the hour mark. Mark Sheriff’s tame 25 yarder looked easy enough for Webb to gather but he could not hold the shot and Robbins was on hand to tap in the rebound.
Robbins struck again 10 minutes later with one of the best individual goals the Beacon has seen for many years.
Picking up the ball inside his own half, Robbins weaved his way past three Seaford players before calmly slotting past the onrushing Webb to make it 3-0 and end the tie as a contest.
Hassocks were rampant now and showed no mercy on their sorry visitors. Amos completed his second brace against Seaford in the space of a little over a fortnight with a free header from a pinpoint Hibbert corner.
And with five minutes to go there was a rare Mickey Turner goal to enjoy. The veteran rolled back the years to when he was a feared striker rather than a buccaneering wing back with a precision finish.
Hassocks: Joel Harding; Mickey Turner, Pete Lear, Chris Hewitt, Ashley Marsh, Sam Fisk; Matt Robbins, Chris Brown, Anthony Hibbert; Mark Sheriff, Matt Amos.
Subs: Spencer Slaughter (Brown 76) Richard Thompson (Sheriff 76), Ian Simpson (Marsh 79).
Starman: Matt Robbins. Commanding in midfield and the scorer of two goals, one of which is unlikely to be bettered this season.
