ROBINS LEAK SEVEN TO LOBSTERS BUT SCORELINE IS A LITTLE HARSH
It is now 13 goals conceded in two games spaced just four days apart as Hassocks found themselves hammered 7-3 away at Redhill.
10 goals made for plenty of entertainment for the home fans and neutrals at Kiln Brow. Not for Mickey Jewell and the Robins though, even if most in attendance agreed that the scoreline was a little harsh.
Tuesday night had seen Hassocks go from leading Lancing 1-0 after 30 minutes in the Sussex Senior Cup to coming off an hour later eliminated from the competition via a 6-1 defeat.
The Robins looked shell shocked by full time at Culver Road, a state that extended to the opening 45 minutes here when Redhill scored five unanswered goals.
That left Hassocks dead and buried before the half time tea was being served. They did at least recover with a much-improved performance after the break, winning the second half 3-2.
How much of that was down to Redhill taking their foot of the pedal with the game already won is up for debate. Jewell and the Robins though will take any positive they can get at the minute.
Giving a strong Lobsters outfit something to think about is a straw worth clutching. Redhill have a talented squad and a manager in ex-Crowborough Athletic boss Simon Colbran who knows what it takes to win a County League title.
The Lobsters had been tipped in some quarters to make an impression on the championship race, although three consecutive losses had raised question marks.
Hassocks were unfortunate to catch Redhill in the midst of such a barren run. They were clearly fired up to put things right and Colbran was a vocal presence on the touchline, urging his side forward at every opportunity.
Great work from the impressive Wayne Clark set up Billy Medlock for the Redhill opener on 12 minutes. Five minutes later and the lead was doubled when Jon Difford was left free to head home a corner.
The third Lobsters goal on 35 minutes best summed up Hassocks’ day. Ashley Marsh produced an utterly outrageous clearance off the line, only for the ball to hit Andy Atkin in the back and loop into the net over the helpless Jack Simpson.
Such rotten luck seemed to seriously deflate Hassocks and they conceded twice more in the remaining 10 minutes before half time to Clark and Medlock. At that point, a record-breaking heaviest defeat in senior football looked on the cards for the Robins.
The second half comeback-of-sorts was led by Anthony Hibbert, slowly getting back to match fitness following a lengthy absence through injury.
Hibbert opened his account for the season by scoring twice in the space of five minutes. With the scoreline now at 5-2 and the second half barely 15 minutes old, Hibbert had suddenly given Hassocks the faintest hopes of staging a remarkable comeback.
Colbran and Redhill certainly seemed rocked and the Robins found themselves on top. Hassocks should have had a penalty when Nathan Miles was brought down in the area but the referee waved away the claims.
The Robins were incensed and you could understand why. Had they been awarded and converted a spot kick, the deficit would have been cut to two.
A Lobsters side already appearing visibly worried at the possibility of blowing a five-goal lead would have become a nervous wreck. And who knows where that might have led?
To make the non-penalty award even more disappointing, Redhill made the most of the reprieve by going straight up the other end and scoring their sixth.
It was a quite brilliant individual solo goal from Clark, who deserved his brace for a performance in which he teased and tormented Hassocks all afternoon.
Clark’s goal settled Redhill and when home substitute Gavin Gordon made it 7-2, the possibility of a unexpected recovery from the Robins was now firmly over.
Hassocks did manage to find the back of the net once more, Miles pegging a third back late on.
Hassocks: Jack Simpson; Dan Jacques, Ashley Marsh, Stuart Faith, Chris Maynard; James Westlake, Anthony Hibbert, Spencer Slaughter, Jamie Weston; Nathan Miles, Phil Gault.
Subs: Sam Goodridge (Jacques), Andy Whittingham (Slaughter), Phil Johnson (Weston).
