TEN MAN ROBINS BATTLE TO END THE PERFECT START OF LEAGUE LEADERS UNITED
Ten man Hassocks became the first side to take a point off Eastbourne United Association this season as an excellent battling performance earned a 3-3 draw from the early Sussex County League leaders.
The Robins lost captain Ian Simpson to a dubious straight red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity with just over 30 minutes played.
When Wes Tate converted the resulting penalty to put United 2-1 ahead, a long evening looked in store playing shorthanded against opponents who have swept all before them so far on their return to Division One.
Hassocks though refused to lie down. They came from behind twice and were well worth their point, even if it took two stunning saves from Under 18s goalkeeper Josh Green in the final 10 minutes to prevent United extending their perfect start to the campaign.
Green was deputising for the holidaying Jack Simpson and was one of nine players in Dave John’s starting XI under the age of 25.
That was in stark contrast to the experience and guile United possess in a squad who won Division Two at a canter last season as well as reaching the semi finals of the FA Vase.
It came as something of a shock then when Dan Jacques gave Hassocks the lead with only nine minutes played.
Ellis Common advanced in trademark fashion from right back, his low cross into the box was stepped over by Jamie Hillwood and the enigmatic Jacques curled an effort past visiting goalkeeper Adam Sargeant from 20 yards.
United showed a healthy Beacon crowd why they had plundered 23 goals already, laying siege to the Hassocks goal immediately after falling behind.
Eventually, United found a way through when Jason Taylor fired through a crowd of players, leaving the unsighted Green with no chance.
Simpson and Nick Pitcher did their utmost to contain the United threat as the visitors continued to pour forward before the former picked up the first red card of his career in controversial circumstances.
A shot squirmed away from Green and as Simpson and Lucas Mann battled to get there first, the Hassocks defender pulled back Mann.
There was no doubting it was a penalty but Mann going down as if he had been hit by a sniper up on Jack & Jill seemed a little unnecessary.
Hassocks’ mood was not improved when referee Dane Johnston then sent Simpson for an early bath, the general consensus being that Green would probably have gathered the ball before Mann got there and it was therefore not a clear scoring opportunity.
The Robins channelled their frustrations in exactly the right way as they went up the other end to equalise within three minutes.
Aaron Czech produced a deft flick around the corner which took out two United defenders. Common went racing clear and he finished past Sargeant with aplomb for his first senior goal.
Parity lasted for all of two minutes before United moved 3-2 ahead and once again, it was the officials who came to the fore.
A soft foul was awarded against George Brown out on the left and Green then appeared to be impeded when attempting to gather the free kick into his box, leaving Mann with a free header at the back post.
Five goals in 33 minutes had made for entertaining fare. Neither side could add to it before the break and most in the clubhouse seemed to think that there was no way the second half could match the first.
Hassocks did their best to dispel that opinion by equalising once again six minutes after the restart. Brown released Nathan Miles who accelerated past his marker and pulled a low cross back in the box. Czech had timed his run to perfection, meeting it with a calm finish at the back post.
The game continued to ebb and flow from that point as both sides had chances to win it. Dan Stokes fired over after Miles had somehow stayed on his feet despite United kicking him to pieces as he foxtrotted around the box and Mann defied the laws of physics to hook over the Hassocks bar from six yards out with the goal gaping.
Hillwood spurned a glorious chance to put Hassocks ahead with seven minutes left to play, placing a header straight at Sargeant from a teasing cross delivered by substitute Luke Pearce.
Green’s heroics took place either side of that Hillwood header. Firstly, Green somehow managed to flick a volley over the bar when lying on the ground after a downwards head sparked chaos and confusion in the Hassocks box.
Better was to come in the final minute as the teenager went full stretch to his left to claw away a header which seemed destined for the far corner.
Those two saves were the talk of the Beacon afterwards and whilst Green was an obvious man-of-the-match winner for his interventions, this was a fine team performance which John will be hoping can prove a catalyst for a push up the Division One table.
Hassocks: Josh Green; Ellis Common, Nick Pitcher, Ian Simpson, George Brown; Aaron Czech, Dan Jacques, Dan Stokes, Jamie Hillwood; Nathan Miles, Phil Johnson.
Subs: Luke Pearce (Czech 68), Ryan John, Jake Booth, Reece Wickwar (unused).
