LEAKY HASSOCKS STUTTER TO DEFEAT
Of all the days for Hassocks to give their worst defensive performance of the season, they had to pick the one where free scoring Hailsham Town came to the Beacon.
The Stringers may be flattering to deceive slightly in the league, but the one thing they do have is an obscene amount of firepower and they demonstrated every ounce of it by scoring four times in Mid Sussex.
Hassocks did manage two of their own, both coming from Phil Gault penalties but in truth they only had themselves to blame as they gave away possession far too easily.
Of more concern for Mickey Jewell than his side’s inability to keep the ball will be the fact that Hailsham seemed to want it that much more, a will to win fired perhaps by the fact that the Robins had ended the Stringers five match unbeaten run with a 2-0 success at the Beaconsfield just four weeks previously.
The result also denied Hassocks the chance of climbing to the dizzy heights of third in Division One and represented a third defeat in their past four league games after going unbeaten in the opening 14 of the Jewell era.
Hassocks had started brightly with Dan Barnard testing Russ Tanner in the Hailsham goal early on and then Spencer Slaughter fired a snapshot just wide.
That was about as good as it got though as Hailsham took the lead on 13 minutes, Jack Simpson somehow allowing Ashley Jarvis’ scuffed effort from 18 yards to squirm underneath his body for 1-0.
He was beaten again just three minutes later, this time after Simon Catt’s long-range effort rebounded off the woodwork and straight to Mark French who tapped home the loose ball from six yards.
Hassocks had to wait until the 41st minute to have another worthwhile effort, Gault seeing a shot blocked and then Dan Smith floated one wide of Tanner’s post.
Any hope the Robins had of getting back into the tie evaporated 14 minutes into the second half, French again reacting quickest in the box to slam the ball into the top corner after an effort from Luke Denton this time came back off the bar.
Gault reduced the deficit from the penalty spot on 65 minutes after Paul Richardson was somewhat harshly adjudged to have handled a Slaughter flick but almost immediately Hailsham made it 4-1, Denton unleashing an unstoppable 30 yarder that arrowed past the helpless Simpson.
Substitute Nathan Miles saw an effort smothered by Tanner before Hassocks received their second spot kick of the afternoon, Gault again converting by sending Tanner the wrong way after Smith was felled by Steve Early.
Hassocks perhaps should have had a third spot kick, Smith looking like he’d gone down in the box but a free kick right on the edge of the area was awarded, from which Gault drew a brilliant fingertip save from Tanner.
Hailsham nearly made it 5-2 at the end, Rob South clearing off the line superbly from Craig Norman.
Hassocks: Jack Simpson; Rob South, Kieran O’Callaghan, Pete Lear, Andy Whittingham; Anthony Hibbert, Dan Smith, Phil Gault, Spencer Slaughter, Elliott Butler; Dan Barnard.
Subs: Lee Waterhouse (Hibbert 63), Nathan Miles (Barnard 63), Tom Howes (Lear 71), James Laing, Jason Gander (unused).
