FAMILIAR FOES RYE LEAVE ROBINS SEASON IN TOTAL MELTDOWN
In the space of one short month, a season that held plenty of promise for Hassocks has collapsed – and the disintegration started and finished with Rye United.
The East Sussex club ended the Robins’ very real hopes of winning the Sussex RUR Charity Cup four days after Christmas, beating Dave John’s side 2-1 at the Salts in the quarter finals of a wide open competition.
Then on Tuesday night, they came to the Beacon and pocketed three valuable points in their battle to avoid relegation, winning 2-0 to leave Hassocks’ title challenge hanging by a thread.
Those two victories have well and truly buried the memory of Hassocks eliminating Rye from the FA Cup back in August.
This was only Rye’s fifth league victory of the campaign but was thoroughly deserved and with their massive number of games in hand, they should preserve their Division One status come the end of the season.
As for Hassocks, there were mitigating circumstances, mostly surrounding a squad being stretched to its absolute limit. But even so, this was not good enough and the normally phlegmatic John admitted afterwards that he was not happy.
He felt his side were bullied out of it by a physical and robust Rye side. It is not the first time Hassocks have not got on with opponents adopting such an approach.
Another coastal club in Selsey ruffled the Robins’ earlier in the campaign, although Hassocks’ quality shone through enough to defeat the Blues in each of their three meetings.
John was also left confused about how referee Boris Erguvan flashed only three yellow cards and all of those to home players – Chris Brown, Spencer Slaughter and Phil Gault.
Hassocks could have been better protected by the officials, particularly at a time when John needs to keep as many of his players fit as possible given the extended list of absentees.
It was confirmed before kick off that consistent defender Ashley Marsh broke a collarbone in the weekend defeat against East Preston and will be missing for at least two months.
Free-scoring Anthony Hibbert is still several weeks away from fitness, Matt Robbins is sidelined with an ankle problem, Matt Amos has returned to Cambridge University following the holidays and Sam Fisk is now trying his luck in Australia.
Jamie Ingham is struggling with a knee injury but such was his desperation not to add to John’s woes that the 16-year-old amazingly declared himself fit. Sensibly though, he was not risked and remained on the bench.
Such a heavily depleted squad meant a full debut for Michael Bates in midfield. John said he was more than happy with Bates’ performance and he can expect to be further involved over the coming weeks.
The patch up job John was forced into was best summed up by the sight of regular striker Gault in midfield and regular midfielder Slaughter filling in for Marsh at sweeper.
It was little wonder that Hassocks gave away the ball far too cheaply, the service for their front two of James Laing and the willing Laurence Robinson being non-existent all evening.
In the 40 minutes it took the Robins to register their first shot – an astute chip from Gault well saved by Gavin Bourne – Rye had managed four or five acceptable chances on Joel Harding’s goal.
Hassocks did at least start the second half a little brighter but it came to nothing and two goals in little more than two minutes just past the hour mark left them well beaten.
Scott McDonald scored from Shaun Loft’s headed pass on 64 minutes. That was followed by the talented Duncan McArthur waltzing past at least five Hassocks players followed by Harding before rolling into an empty net for a breath taking solo goal.
Hassocks: Joel Harding; Mickey Turner, Pete Lear, Spencer Slaughter, Stuart Faith, Richard Thompson; Phil Gault, Chris Brown, Michael Bates; James Laing, Laurence Robinson.
Subs: Richard Thomas (Laing 73), Ian Dawson (Bates 80), Jamie Ingham (unused).
