GULF IN CLASS EVIDENT AS HASSOCKS FALL SHORT OF THE MARK AT YMCA
Nobody could fault the effort Hassocks put in at second placed Horsham YMCA but the gap between a club challenging for the County League title and another battling relegation was evident at Gorings Mead.
A final score of YM 1-0 Hassocks may suggest a tight game, but the Robins were second-best throughout whilst the hosts barely needed to get out of first gear.
Hassocks struggled to find any rhythm and their passing at times was particularly poor, leaving home goalkeeper Tom Rand rarely troubled.
Whereas the Robins gave away possession frequently, YM looked extremely comfortable on the ball as you would expect from a side eyeing up an immediate return to Ryman South following relegation last season.
Dave John was forced into a bit of a reshuffle with Ashley Marsh and Jack Simpson starting three match bans for their sending offs in the 4-1 win over Selsey at the end of January.
Phil Wickwar continued in goal having deputised for the absent Simpson in last week’s 3-2 defeat away at Wick. Spencer Slaughter reverted to sweeper from his normal holding midfield role to replace Marsh.
Slaughter’s position was taken by Stuart Faith pushed forward from centre back, where Ian Simpson came in for his first start of the campaign.
Simpson performed well against the lively Phil Elliott. In contrast, Hassocks never really got to grips with Matt Geard floating just behind the sole front man. Too often, the Robins allowed Geard too much time and space to pick his passes and dictate the game.
As talented as Geard is as a player, his temperament often gets the better of him and he was lucky not to be yellow carded after several altercations with referee Colin Mallows.
YM were on the front foot from the start with Wickwar called into action as early as the seventh minute, using his left leg to deny former Burgess Hill Town youngster Neil Watts.
Soon after and the ball was in the back of the net from a corner, only for Mr Mallows to rule that Wickwar had been fouled and chalk the goal off.
Elliott had an effort blocked by Slaughter and then Tom Lawley went on a mazy run before shooting narrowly wide from the edge of the box.
Faith blasted a long range effort wide in a rare Hassocks attack but normal service was quickly resumed when the dangerous Tom Manton drilled a shot against the post with Wickwar beaten.
The Robins had their best opportunity of the game on 35 minutes. Richard Thompson played the ball down the line to Jamie Buckett, who did really well to beat Martyn Flack and cut inside.
Buckett had Anthony Hibbert arriving inside the box unmarked. Striker’s instinct took over though and Buckett went for goal himself, shooting straight at Rand from a tight angle as the chance went begging.
Three minutes later and YM took the lead. Manton gave Dan Jacques a torrid time all afternoon and when the young Hassocks right wing back failed to cut out a diagonal cross field ball, Manton ghosted in behind and easily beat Wickwar with an assured left foot finish.
Laurence Robinson raced forward for the Robins down the right as the first half drew to a close, delivering a dangerous looking cross-shot which flew into the six yard box with no Hassocks teammate in sight.
Elliott was denied early in the second period by a Thompson clearance off the line and on the hour mark, Wickwar produced a stunning full length save to deny a brilliant Geard volley.
The passage of play rightly drew applause from around the ground from the technique of Geard’s strike to the agility displayed by the veteran Wickwar.
Buckett was brought down on the edge of the box, a foul which earned Drew Cooney a place in Mr Mallow’s book and Hassocks a free kick in a very promising position.
Hibbert drilled the set piece into the wall and when the ball came straight back to him, he lashed a left foot effort just wide.
In a sign that Hassocks were running out of ideas, John unusually used all three of his substitutes with James Laing, Ian Dawson and Simon Bristow replacing Buckett, Adam Williams and Jacques.
YM thought they had a second late on, only for Slaughter to make an astonishing goal line clearance. Hibbert then nearly snatched what would have been an underserved point in injury time point with a 25 yard effort which had Rand scrambling but flew just over the bar.
Hassocks: Phil Wickwar; Dan Jacques, Sol Bowra, Spencer Slaughter, Ian Simpson, Richard Thompson; Stuart Faith, Anthony Hibbert, Adam Williams; Jamie Buckett, Laurence Robinson
Subs: James Laing (Buckett 73), Ian Dawson (Williams 75), Simon Bristow (Jacques 80).
Starman: Difficult choice but it just goes to Anthony Hibbert who looked hungry and enthusiastic throughout.
