MAGNIFICENT SEVEN FOR RAMPANT ROBINS WHO CAUSE A LINGFIELD IMPLOSION
Nothing can stop Hassocks at the moment. The Robins secured a seventh win in a row in all competitions in the hostile environment of high-flying Lingfield, where they passed the physical test provided by their hosts with ease to run out 4-1 victors.
The only negative was a red card for Anthony Hibbert early in the second half. There was a certain amount of irony that Hibbert was the only player on the pitch to head for an early bath when Lingfield spent the entirety of a feisty and often ugly encounter swearing, bickering and moaning at each other and the officials.
Colourful Lingers boss Dixie Dean also saw red on the stroke of half time. Dean launched what can only be described as a full on verbal assault at referee Barrie Cox which went on for a good two minutes.
Admittedly, Mr Cox did look out of his depth. Dean’s outburst though will no doubt have consequences for him, especially as he refused to leave the dugout at first.
Lingfield were 3-0 down by that point, not helping Dean’s mood. This was the sort of febrile fixture that Hassocks would have wilted in even last season.
18 months into Mickey Jewell’s reign and he has instilled a team spirit and mental toughness in his squad that made them stronger than Lingfield and ensured the game was over before even half time.
It took just three minutes for the Robins to take the lead on their way to a seventh victory of the campaign on the road. Nathan Miles centred and James Westlake crept in unnoticed from his right flank to sweep home.
The next five minutes saw Mr Cox give a series of free kicks against Hassocks for innocuous challenges. These though were quickly forgotten when Miles doubled the lead on eight minutes with a superb goal.
Hassocks cleared a Lingfield corner with an astute Phil Gault pass finding Miles just inside the Robins half. Miles outstripped Chris Head easily before taking on an early shot, curling the ball around giant 6’10 goalkeeper Tom O’Hara via the inside of the post.
A bizarre incident involving Jack Simpson nearly led to Lingfield pulling one back. The Hassocks goalkeeper was adjudged to have handled outside his area when not releasing a drop kick quick enough. Daryl Coleman struck a superb free kick which needed an even better save at full stretch from Simpson to keep it out.
Coleman then shot weakly at Simpson and fired over from two opportunities he was well placed to do better with. Those misses were punished when Hassocks added a third on the half hour.
Chris Maynard hit a diagonal ball which Tom Hughes headed back towards O’Hara. Hughes though had not spotted Gault lurking behind and the Robins talisman collected the ball, coolly rounded O’Hara and tucked home.
The moment which so incensed Dean arrived in the 45th minute. Hibbert and former Crawley Town man Gareth Graham tangled in midfield.
Hibbert was booked for the initial tackle, Graham swung a handbag around for some afters to earn himself a booking and that led to Dean’s meltdown and sending to the stands.
Lingfield started the second half with renewed vigour and Hassocks had to weather a bit of a storm. Kieran O’Callaghan taking over from the injured Stuart Faith and Ashley Marsh at the heart of the Robins defence were excellent in repelling everything the hosts could throw at them.
Marsh was the victim of a terrible stray elbow to the head which should have seen Danny Oakins shown a straight red. Somehow, Mr Cox let it go.
Hibbert was not so lucky when he was given a second yellow for a tackle on Graham shortly after. In the context of the game, it was a soft card to say the least.
Hassocks responded to being reduced to 10 by scoring their fourth on 58 minutes. O’Callaghan hit a long ball over the top of the Lingfield defence which Miles raced onto to beat O’Hara one-on-one.
Lingfield for their part kept trying to find a way through in between bouts of berating each other. They eventually got a consolation deep into injury time when Graham lashed home a cross from Josh Coulson.
Even after this there was still time for a further incident. Hughes and Hassocks sub Andy Whittingham were lucky not to be sent off as they indulged in a spot of wrestling.
Mr Cox settled on flashing yellows to both, probably not to inflame an already disappointed Lingfield contingent with the game in the 97th minute.
Nothing though could dampen the spirits of the Hassocks players and supporters on another fine away day, even if the main talking point on the way home once again seemed to focus on the referee.
Hassocks: Jack Simpson; Rob South, Ashley Marsh, Kieran O’Callaghan, Chris Maynard; James Westlake, Anthony Hibbert, Jamie Weston, Phil Johnson; Nathan Miles, Phil Gault.
Subs: Spencer Slaughter (Johnson 59), Ben Palmer (South 78), Andy Whittingham (Westlake 84).
Starman: Great all round team effort, particularly at the back. But it goes to Nathan Miles, who scordd two excellent goals and had high work rate all afternoon.
