HIGH FLYING HAWKS TOO HOT FOR HASSOCKS TO HANDLE
Everything that could go wrong, went wrong for Hassocks against big-spending FA Vase hopefuls Whitehawk at the Enclosed Ground.
The Robins picked a bad day to give their most ragged performance of the campaign against the Sussex County League leaders. To make matters worse, they had to play most of the second half with defender Sol Bowra between the posts after Joel Harding was forced off with a jarred elbow.
Games between these two are normally close, but those circumstances resulted in a comfortable 5-0 win for the Hawks, easing them into next week when they entertain Northern League club Marske United for a place in the FA Vase quarter finals.
Sam Crabb’s first half hat-trick meant that the game was up before half time. Hassocks really weren’t at the races in the opening 45 minutes on a lumpy, dead surface. You have to wonder just how good Whitehawk could be if their pitch matched the silky skills of their expensively assembled squad.
As an attacking force, the Robins were a non-entity for practically the whole first half. They did at least manage to keep Whitehawk out until the 31st minute when Crabb opened the scoring, setting himself on the way to a 13 minute treble.
Four minutes later and Crabb had his second, following up after a superb save from Harding, who injured himself in the process. Harding received lengthy treatment and tried to carry on, but within eight minutes of the second half he succumbed to the pain and handed goalkeeping duties over to Bowra, who had volunteered at half time to step into the breach if required.
Crabb complete his hat-trick two minutes before the interval. A good ball down the left caught Dan Jacques out, leaving Marc Whiteman to run down the flank and deliver a low, accurate cross to present the Hawks forward with a tap in.
Hassocks finally mustered their first attempt in first half stoppage time. James Laing held the ball up well on the left before pulling back to Spencer Slaughter, whose right footed effort dragged just wide of Lloyd Anderson’s right-hand post.
When Bowra took over goalkeeping duties on 53 minutes, Kieran O’Callaghan was the player who replaced Bowra in defence. O’Callaghan is an England international beach footballer of some renown who turned out for Hassocks on several occasion a couple of seasons ago.
O’Callaghan is now back living in Sussex and Dave John said he hopes to have him available on a more regular basis going forward. His return to the Beacon is quite the coup for Hassocks and he will certainly boost John’s options over the remainder of the season.
Whitehawk added two their tally with Bowra between the posts. The stand-in goalkeeper would have been disappointed with the first on 69 minutes as he allowed a low cross from substitute Wes Tate to slip under his body, allowing Scott Kirkwood a simple tap over the line.
The fifth goal was again down to Tate as he rounded Bowra this time before firing towards goal. Whiteman somewhat unnecessarily helped the ball over the line and was lucky to get away without an offside flag, seeing as he had appeared to be miles off when Tate took his shot.
Hassocks did at least make a slightly better fist of it in the second half. Richard Thompson, making his first start since August, was disappointed to hit an angled shot straight at Anderson after doing well to fashion an opportunity.
Arni Kublickas replaced Thompson for the final 18 minutes and the young Lithuanian wing back will surely feel that he could have done better with a good chance which he put into the side netting within 60 seconds of joining the action.
That was about as good as it got for Hassocks in what was a ragged showing by a team sorely missing the combative spirit of Stuart Faith, sidelined by an ankle complaint. Hassocks’ injury problems could worsen if Harding is to face a spell out while Hawks now turn their attention to taking another step towards a Wembley final, something which the whole of Sussex will be spurring them onto.
Hassocks: Joel Harding; Dan Jacques, Sol Bowra, Ashley Marsh, Pete Lear, Richard Thompson; Spencer Slaughter, Anthony Hibbert, Daley Clark; Phil Gault, James Laing.
Subs: Kieran O’Callaghan (Harding 53), Arni Kublickas (Thompson 72), Nathan Miles (Laing 72).
Starman: Not awarded.
