LOBSTERS’ FIREPOWER PROVES TOO MUCH FOR HASSOCKS
Four minutes were all that stood between Hassocks and what would have been a hugely impressive point against a slick and powerful Redhill unit.
Twice the hosts had led at Kiln Brown and twice the Robins had pegged them back thanks to Matt Amos’ first goals of the season.
That looked like it would be enough to secure to a share of the spoils until Andrew Dalhouse fired home from 25 yards right at the death to give the Lobsters what was undoubtedly a deserved three points.
Hassocks won’t come up against many sides as good as this. If Redhill can keep this squad together, they’ll surely be in the shake up come the end of the season.
The Robins meanwhile remain a work in progress under John Suter and with so many new players settling in, nobody really knows what to expect from them.
They certainly couldn’t have any complaints about this result. Redhill missed a penalty and hit the woodwork on two occasions in the space of five crazy minutes that opened the second half, a sign that they should have won the game more comfortably than they did.
Hassocks though deserve credit for their staying power as despite being outplayed, they were never truly out of the game.
Redhill’s lively front pairing of Dalhouse and Tony Reid were a constant threat all evening and that made for a baptism of fire for 18-year-old centre back Nick Pitcher, a member of last season’s Youth League Cup winning squad who was handed his debut by Suter in the absence of Matt Percival.
Paul Williams in the Hassocks goal denied Reid twice in the first half, once low down to his right and then by superbly tipping away a free kick to his left.
Peter Barkley fired over, Dalhouse hit the side netting after bulldozing his way past Pitcher and Ashley Marsh and Aaron Murphy shot straight at Williams after a jinking run.
Hassocks were pretty much a non-entity in terms of an attacking force in the first half but all that changed as the second half began in an absolute frenzy.
Redhill took the lead within 60 seconds of the restart, Reid slamming home from close range after Williams had parried a Murphy cross.
Less than a minute later and Pete Lear hauled down Dalhouse in the box and a penalty was awarded. Dalhouse took the kick himself but Williams was more than equal to it, using his feet to superbly deny the Redhill forward.
Inspired by that, Hassocks went up the other and equalised with what was their first meaningful effort on goal all evening.
Michael Bates was the architect, marking his first appearance under Suter with a pinpoint cross onto the head of his fellow teenager Amos who headed home.
Redhill kept the ball from the restart, fashioning two quick opportunities for Reid who hit the inside of the post and then crashed an effort against the bar.
Hassocks rode their luck after that five minutes of madness and it came as little surprise when Redhill retook the lead in the 69th minute, Teddy Ansell bundling the ball in after Dalhouse had headed a Murphy centre back across the box.
The Robins wouldn’t lie down though and again they found a way back. This time, it was substitute Laurence Robinson’s 79th minute cross which evaded Spencer Slaughter, Ali Russell and two home defenders but not Amos who slotted past Shannon Ruth to restore parity.
Amos could have given Hassocks an undeserved lead but his flicked effort went just wide before Dalhouse’s piledriver sealed it on 86.
But even then Amos had a chance to snatch a point with a goal bound effort deep into stoppage time which was desperately blocked by Jon Hogg.
Hassocks: Paul Williams; Michael Bates, Nick Pitcher, Ashley Marsh, Pete Lear, Richard Thompson; Anthony Hibbert, Tom White, Spencer Slaughter; Ali Russell, Matt Amos.
Subs: Laurence Robinson (Bates), Phil Fitzgerald, James Laing, James McKenzie (unused).
