ROBINS ON A ROLL IN FRIDAY NIGHT FOUR GOAL SHOW
A best ever league finish is back on for the cards for Hassocks. Six days after they hit four goals past one of their top five rivals Redhill, the Robins repeated the trick against another as AFC Uckfield were well beaten under the Beacon lights.
This wasn’t a good Friday night for the visitors. Their cause wasn’t helped when James Rhodes picked up a second booking of the evening for a late challenge on Ashley Marsh just before half time.
That was a decision that left the AFC Uckfield bench incensed – a bench that had already been reduced in number by one when assistant manager Bob Laundon managed the impressive feat of saying one word too many before we’d even reached the half an hour mark.
In fairness, the Oakmen dugout weren’t the only ones annoyed by the performance of referee Michael Lowe over the course of the evening.
Mr Lowe is a young referee who is being fast tracked through the system and it was his constant stopping of the game to have long discussions with every player who committed an offence which really grated players and supporters alike.
It meant that the flow was regularly disrupted, a real shame given that this was a matchup between two sides who like to attack.
AFC Uckfield started brightly and could have taken the lead inside of 60 seconds, Chris Maynard having to clear off the line from Jack Divall.
The lively Nathan Miles then had Hassocks’ first opportunity, James Westlake playing him through but Mark Oldroyd was quick off his line to smoother the attempt.
Moments later, Anthony Hibbert found Phil Gault but the Robins’ leading marksman could only shoot tamely into the arms of Oldroyd.
The Robins took the lead on 16 minutes and it was a brilliant goal from Miles who twisted and turned his way inside the box before hitting an unerring finish past Oldroyd.
The lead lasted for all of three minutes. Hassocks were caught square at the back and despite an appeal for offside, Tom Swancott latched onto the through ball and drilled under the body of Jack Simpson.
Maynard picked up a yellow for his vehement protests against the goal and Stuart Faith joined him in the book shortly after for a late challenge on Brad Manton.
There could have been further bookings for Marsh and in particular Greg Manton who was constantly in Mr Lowe’s ear throughout the evening but somehow managed to escape a yellow – particularly strange given the haste with which Laundon had been sent to the stands.
Hassocks’ response to losing their lead was impressive. Oldroyd was forced into a stunning tip around the post from Miles, Jamie Weston’s effort just dipped over the bar and Gault nearly caught Oldroyd out from a full 40 yards with an audacious effort which was just off target, much to the relief of the back pedalling visiting custodian.
At the other end, Simpson breathed a sigh of relief of his own when he fumbled a Divall shot but Swancott could only succeed in blasting the rebound over from eight yards.
Hassocks restored their lead on 37 minutes via a moment of sheer class from Weston. There didn’t seem to be much on when the winger picked up the ball wide on the left but he cut inside and unleashed an unstoppable strike into Oldroyd’s top corner from 25 yards.
That moment of magic didn’t seem to sit well with Rhodes, who was booked two minutes later for a crude foul on Hibbert.
When he lunged at Marsh five minutes later, Mr Lowe deemed it dangerous enough to show Rhodes a second yellow and send him for an early bath.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, AFC Uckfield were the better side for the first 15 minutes of the second half and they were only denied an equaliser by two extraordinary saves from Simpson.
Firstly, he punched a corner straight to Divall who was six yards out and with what was effectively an open goal. Somehow, Simpson managed to spread himself and divert Divall’s powerful volley over the bar from point blank range.
A minute later and a massive punt over the top caught out Marsh, Swancott volleyed towards the bottom corner but Simpson swung himself full stretch to his left to tip around the post.
Those two saves proved to be the turning point as Hassocks finally got on top. They made it 3-1 on 77 minutes when Kieran O’Callaghan headed home unmarked from a Westlake corner and on 83 Westlake himself netted, slotting home after a fine interchange of play between O’Callaghan, substitute Rob Boddy and Gault.
There was still time for Westlake to be denied at the death by Oldroyd but in the end it was a well-deserved 19th win of the season for the Robins.
They now need just seven points from their final five games to top 70 for the first time in the top flight while their odds of surpassing the club’s best ever finish of sixth have tumbled in the last week.
Hassocks: Jack Simpson; Ben Palmer, Ashley Marsh, Stuart Faith, Chris Maynard; James Westlake, Kieran O’Callaghan, Anthony Hibbert, Jamie Weston; Nathan Miles, Phil Gault.
Subs: Rob South (Maynard 55), Phil Johnson (Weston 71), Rob Boddy (Hibbert 78), Reece Wickwar (unused).
Starman: Another solid all round team effort but consensus was that the lively Nathan Miles deserved the accolade.
