GAULT CLIMBS OFF HIS SICKBED TO GET ROBINS BACK ON TRACK
Driving rain, a cold wind and two sides who were ring rusty having not played for three weeks meant that Sidley United’s visit to the Beacon was never likely to be a classic.
Phil Gault’s 65th minute header from a Chris Maynard free kick proved to be the only goal of the game, but both sides deserve credit for trying to play football despite the conditions.
Over the 90 minutes, Hassocks created more than their visitors but it was Sidley who had the clearer cut opportunities, particularly two one-on-ones which visiting number nine Lewis Hole was unable to make the most of.
The first of those was no fault of Hole’s; he was denied by a superb save by Jack Simpson who used his big frame to expertly keep out Hole’s effort.
The second was put well wide, although Hole could easily claim to have been put off as the entire ground saw the linesman raise his flag, only to then put it down again.
Hassocks were incensed as their whole back four had stopped when the flag went up and the indecision from the assistant referee seemed to effect Hole too as his concentration slipped and the chance was gone.
The Robins began the game playing into the wind and it understandably took them a little while to get going. Scott MacDonald perhaps should have taken advantage but he couldn’t finish after a long diagonal over the top had caught the home defence out.
Hassocks newcomer Rob Boddy had the Robins’ first chance when he tested Sidley goalkeeper Josh Willis with a well struck volley and from the rebound, a great defensive block kept out Nathan Miles’ follow up.
Boddy hit a post in the 37th minute with Willis rooted to the spot and Alan McMinigal went desperately close for Sidley with a volley from Ashley Marsh’s headed clearance.
Kieran O’Callghan, making his first Hassocks appearance for six weeks, was the next to go close but his effort was far too close to Willis after some great work by James Westlake and a cross from Miles that was only half cleared by a defender.
Sidley decided that attack would be the best form of defence when it was their turn to defend the wind at the start of the second half and they forced a smart save from Simpson within seconds of the restart.
It didn’t take Hassocks long to react to that and Miles was only a whisker away from making contact with an excellent Gault cross.
Gault was playing through a heavy cold as Mickey Jewell had no other strikers available other than he and Miles and the Robins’ top scorer’s decision to soldier on was rewarded when he struck his 24th of the campaign just past the hour mark.
A somewhat harsh free kick was awarded against Sidley and the soft decision proved to be doubly costly when Maynard used the wind to drive the ball straight as an arrow towards goal.
Gault had timed his run to perfection behind the Sidley defence to meet the delivery with a clever glancing header which left Willis with no chance.
Young referee Matthew Lee had a fine game before that free kick, but in the final 20 minutes or so he blotted his copybook slightly with some bewildering decisions.
Two cruel yellows were dished out to Sidley players and Mr Lee then tried to even things up by booking Miles for continuing after the whistle and then got the wrong man, Nathan Cooper, for a similar offence.
He should also have sent off Sidley’s Steve Morris in stoppage time after the visiting defender, already on a yellow, momentarily lost his head and kicked out at Marsh.
Considering the game was played in good spirits, that would have been a disappointing end but nonetheless there was no reason for Mr Lee not to make the obvious decision.
The result keeps Hassocks in the hunt for their best ever County League finish and it was achieved with Westlake playing out of position at right back in the absence of both Rob South and Ben Palmer. They were also without Anthony Hibbert (holiday) and Phil Johnson (away for the weekend).
Hassocks: Jack Simpson; James Westlake, Ashley Marsh, Stuart Faith, Chris Maynard; Rob Boddy, Kieran O’Callaghan, Nathan Cooper, Jamie Weston; Nathan Miles, Phil Gault.
Subs: Nick Pitcher (Boddy 73), Luke Pearce (Weston, 86), Ian Simpson (unused).
Starman: Ashley Marsh, impeccable at the back.
