ANOTHER FIVE STAR SHOWING FOR RAMPANT ROBINS
Hassocks are starting to fly now under Mickey Jewell. Three days after hitting five past Selsey without reply at the Beacon, the Robins repeated the trick to hammer a helpless Ringmer by the same score.
If anything, this performance was even more impressive than the one that they’d delivered at the weekend; the Blues after all are no slouches and yet they had no answer to a rampant Hassocks.
The goals came from five different scorers with Sam Jeremiah, Phil Gault, Anthony Hibbert, Spencer Slaughter and Nathan Miles all on target and the result lifted Hassocks up into eighth spot in the table.
Jewell is still to taste defeat in the league as Hassocks boss and had his charges managed to turn a couple of their early season draws into wins, they could even have been well in the title race at this early stage.
As it is, they’re on the periphery. But showings like this will be enough to strike fear into even the best sides in the division.
Jack Simpson was a virtual spectator, the rock solid back four in front of him of Rob South, Ashley Marsh, Pete Lear and Andy Whittingham securing a second successive clean sheet.
The only minor criticism you could level at Hassocks is that it took them a little while to get into their stride but once they did, they produced some magnificent football which delighted and entertained in equal measure.
From about the 15th minute onward they were totally dominant with the first goal arriving with 33 on the clock. Aaran Hasan didn’t deal with a bouncing all at all well and Jeremiah reacted the quickest, steaming past Hasan and coolly rounding Ringer goalkeeper Gary Trott before rolling into the empty net.
Gault made it 2-0 just before the break, sending a wonderful half volley from 25 yards arrowing into the top corner after Ringmer only managed to half clear a corner to the edge of the box.
In between those two goals, Jeremiah fired wide and Gault curled one just the wrong side of the post as Hassocks attempted to wrap things up before they tucked into their half time oranges.
The killer third eventually arrived on the hour mark and it came from a counter attacking goal of the highest quality.
Ringmer were enjoying a rare sighting of the ball in the Hassocks half when Kieran O’Callaghan seized possession to send Whittingham scampering away down the left from where his centre found Hibbert who turned and poked home from eight yards.
Straight from the restart and Hassocks again won the ball, this time working a chance for Lee Waterhouse who blazed over from the angle.
They didn’t have long to wait for number four though, Jeremiah’s slide rule pass releasing Slaughter who slid in to beat Trott on 69 minutes.
That’s Slaughter’s seventh of the campaign already from midfield. He was denied the chance to add any more to his total as Jewell rung the changes with Slaughter, Jeremiah and Waterhouse being replaced by Miles, Dan Smith and Elliott Butler.
And just as it had been at the weekend, the three players that Jewell introduced all combined to add the fifth in another fine move rounded off by Miles’ sweet 85th minute strike from the edge of the box.
Hassocks lost concentration briefly in injury time but Marc Whiteman could only fire Ringmer’s best chance over the bar from six yards.
That miss made it 10 goals scored and none conceded in the space of three days for the hosts and left their supporters glowing with praise come the final whistle. The Robins are on the rise.
Hassocks: Jack Simpson; Rob South, Ashley Marsh, Pete Lear, Andy Whittingham; Anthony Hibbert, Spencer Slaughter, Phil Gault, Kieran O’Callaghan, Lee Waterhouse; Sam Jeremiah.
Subs: Dan Smith (Jeremiah 71), Elliott Butler (Waterhouse 73), Nathan Miles (Slaughter 76), Neil Kane, Jason Gander (unused).
Starman: Unfair to single anyone out in an outstanding team performance.
