LATE CHICHESTER LEVEL LEAVES HASSOCKS HEARTBROKEN
There was late heartbreak for Hassocks at the Beacon where a 93rd minute equaliser from Perry Northeast earned Chichester City a share of the spoils from a 2-2 draw.
In truth, the result was probably a fair one. It will not come as any consolation to Mickey Jewell and the Robins however, who must have thought they were about to get away with three points.
That would have given them a third victory in succession and been a real boost for their chances of finishing in the top three of the County League for the first time.
Despite the late blow, there was still plenty to celebrate for Hassocks on a memorable afternoon. Captain Ashley Marsh made his 400th appearance for the club whilst a brace for Phil Gault moved the Robins’ talisman level with James Laing as the club’s record scorer in senior football on 143 goals.
For sometime now it has been a case of when rather than if Gault overtakes Laing, but the rate at which Gault has sped towards the landmark has kicked up a notch in recent weeks.
This double made it eight goals in three games but even with a striker in such sensational form, Hassocks failed to muster a single shot on target in the first half.
Which was something of a shock following the previous week’s excellent 6-1 win over Chi’s local rivals Pagham, who had arrived at the Beacon as one of the form teams in Division One.
Chi took the lead with 24 minutes played when Nathan Cooper lost possession from a throw, leading to Joe Grovett scoring with a well placed finish from the edge of the box.
Young Alex Harris did well to keep out further efforts from Grovett and George Landais as Chi sought to make the most of their dominance.
There were then worrying scenes on the stroke of half time when Alex Gathern, the young Hassocks right back was stretchered off with severe concussion after a sickening clash.
Jewell opted to wait until the six minutes of injury time had been completed before making any changes, using the interval to embark on a tactical reshuffle.
Gathern’s place was taken by Craig Knowles, who was introduced on the left wing with the enigmatic Dan Jacques dropping to right back.
Knowles offered a different threat to Chi with his pace and directness. It took him only five minutes to register Hassocks’ first shot on target, an effort easily saved by Anthony Ender.
Marsh blocked a Groom shot and Chi squandered further chances through Grovett and Pete Hibbert. All those opportunities meant that Chi should have been out of sight by the time Gault came to the fore, turning the game on its head just past the hour mark.
A well worked free kick between Anthony Hibbert and Mark Price was finished with aplomb by Gault for Hassocks goal number 142.
Eight minutes later and Gault had that record-equalling number 143. It came from the penalty spot after Price had been felled by Chi’s Hibbert, whose teammates were absolutely adamant that he had won the ball.
Hassocks had the momentum now and yet rather than make the most of it and push on for a killer third, they began to sat deeper and deeper to play on the counter.
Hindsight suggests that was a mistake but in fairness, Hassocks did manage to muster two good opportunities playing on the break squandered by Gault and Knowles.
Price too departed with concussion on 88 minutes after colliding with Ender, making this a busy day for the Hassocks medical team.
Youth team midfielder Aaron Czech took Price’s place in a side by now desperately wanting the final whistle to blow.
Before it did, left back Northeast delivered that crushing blow when firing home unmarked from the angle.
Hassocks: Alex Harris; Alex Gathern, Ashley Marsh, Nick Pitcher, Rob South; Jamie Ingham, Anthony Hibbert, Mark Price, Nathan Cooper, Dan Jacques; Phil Gault.
Subs: Craig Knowles (Gathern 45), Zak Dove (Ingham 77), Aaron Czech (Price 88), Reece Wickwar (unused).
