INGHAM GOAL EARNS ROBINS VITAL POINT IN BATTLE FOR TOP FOUR FINISH
With both Hassocks and Horsham YMCA missing their top scorers for their fourth clash of the season, it came as little surprise there was a distinct lack of cutting edge as the sides played out a 1-1 draw at the Beacon.
The sixth-placed Robins were without 30 goal Phil Gault through injury whilst fifth-placed YM were denied the services of 28 goal Nick Sullivan after he was called away to work on what looked an important day in the battle for a top four finish.
Visiting boss Peter Buckland said afterwards he felt his side would have “won comfortably” had Sullivan, Leroy Hyett or Craig Grantham been available.
But who knows what might have happened if Mickey Jewell had a full squad of his own to choose from? The absence of Gault was just the tip of the iceberg for the Robins, whose two most recent outings had ended in heavy losses at Crowborough Athletic and Newhaven for a side ravaged by fitness issues.
With the Under 18s playing in the League Cup final the following day against Chichester City, Jewell opted to leave George Brown and Aaron Czech as unused substitutes.
Dan Stokes was only a late introduction from the bench whilst Jake Booth and Max Collins were left out altogether.
All five teenagers have impressed in the first team this season but especially in recent weeks, stepping up alongside a plethora of reserve players because of the depth of the injury crisis.
The return of Nathan Miles and Nathan Cooper in place of Hugo Whitehouse and Zak Dove does at least suggest that the Robins may now be over the worst.
To fill the void left by Gault, Jewell gave another opportunity to development side top scorer Michael Gould, who is averaging a goal a game in the Mid Sussex Championship and made his full debut in defeat at Newhaven on Wednesday night.
Hassocks had lost their two previous meetings with YM, back-to-back games in November which ended in a 3-2 elimination from the Sussex RUR Charity Cup three days after a 5-0 hammering in Division One.
The first match of the season between the sides came in August and saw the Robins win 3-2 at Gorings Mead in the FA Cup.
That came as something of a surprise with Hassocks having beaten YM just twice in their past 11 encounters and only once at Gorings Mead in 13 years.
Given their historical struggles against YM, the Robins were no doubt more pleased than their visitors by the outcome here.
Hassocks had the better of a first half in which the game ebbed and flowed, taking a deserved 1-0 lead into the interval.
Jamie Ingham has enjoyed an excellent first season back in senior football for six years and it was his third goal of the campaign which put the Robins ahead with six minutes of the half remaining.
Ingham showed excellent strength to outmuscle YM defender Adam O’Carroll and finish past goalkeeper Simon Lockwood with aplomb.
YM had started with midfielder Brad Curtis operating as a lone striker. Buckland changed tact at the break, switching to 4-4-2 and pushing another midfielder Liam Hunter up alongside Curtis.
That gave the Hassocks backline of Alex Gathern, Ashley Marsh, Nick Pitcher and Matt O’Brien more to think about in the second half.
O’Brien was making his first start at left back in the absence of Tom Davess. He equipped himself well, continuing the impressive form he has shown for the reserves following a summer switch from Haywards Heath Town.
The second half was only four minutes old when YM’s change had an impact. Hunter and Curtis combined to win a corner on 49 minutes which was swung over and headed home by captain Ashley Dugdale.
For all Buckland’s post-game talk about how his side would have cantered into the sunset with three points with a recognised striker, their biggest problem seemed to be delivering crosses too close to Hassocks goalkeeper Josh Green.
Perhaps they wondered whether the 17-year-old who plays understudy to Collins in the Robins youth team would have the confidence to dominate his box.
The answer to that question was a resounding yes. Green was superb in claiming the plethora of balls pumped into the area, helping to relieve pressure on his defence.
One goal conceded after shipping seven in the previous two against Newhaven and Crowborough was particularly pleasing and Hassocks might have even nicked all three points right at the death.
Stuart Brown has developed something of a reputation for scoring straight from corners with three such goals to his name this season.
Brown nearly repeated his party trick with an inswinging delivery which cannoned off Lockwoods’ crossbar in the final minute.
Hassocks: Josh Green; Alex Gathern, Nick Pitcher, Ashley Marsh, Matt O’Brien; Dan Jacques, Nathan Cooper, Jamie Ingham, Stuart Brown; Michael Gould, Nathan Miles.
Subs: Dan Stokes (used), George Brown, Aaron Czech, Mark Price (unused).
