BANT AND MELIA TAME THE BEARS
First half goals from Bradley Bant and Jonno Melia proved enough for Hassocks as they returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory at Broadbridge Heath.
Before this clash at the Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre, there were several questions in the air. How would Hassocks respond to losing their nine game unbeaten streak at home to Worthing United four days earlier?
How would the Robins cope on a surface that is one of the worst in the Premier Division? And could they build up some momentum ahead of a massive Peter Bentley League Cup Quarter Final away at Lancing this coming Tuesday?
90 minutes and three points later and Hassocks had delivered some emphatic answers. That disappointing defeat to the Mavericks looks like nothing more than a blip and they’ll head to Culver Road in good spirits.
“A great response and a real effort where everyone played for the team,” was how Phil Wickwar described it afterwards and he was particularly pleased given the absences of Nick Pitcher, Jamie Hillwood, George Brown and Mark Price.
Hassocks could and really should have had more in the second half in particular although they were excellent all afternoon, their quick counter attacking football proving to be too much for Heath to cope with.
Melia set the tone for a superb personal performance in which he caused the Heath defence all manner of problems when teeing up the opener with a quarter of an hour gone.
Some great football released the fleet footed forward down the left flank and his low cross was knocked home at the far post by Bant.
Bant returned the favour 10 minutes later, linking up well with Phil Gault to get away on the right and his pull back was finished with aplomb by Melia.
Heath came out at the start of the second half like a team possessed but Hassocks did well to weather a 10 minute spell of relentless pressure.
After that, the game ebbed and flowed from one end to the other as Heath desperately sought a way back into the game. That allowed the Robins to hit them on the break and yielded a number of opportunities with which Hassocks could – with a little bit more composure – have racked up five or six.
Melia was running riot and got in twice down his wing only to miss the opportunity. A trademark James Westlake delivery was headed against a post by Michael Death and teenage substitute Jack Wilkins couldn’t quite find the unmarked Gault with the goal gaping.
Heath were reduced to 10 men when Daniel Attwater hauled down Westlake as the diminutive midfielder was clean through on goal but Gault could only fire the resulting free kick over the bar.
Attention now turns to that League Cup clash with Lancing in three days time. Hassocks have only ever reached the last four of the competition twice in their history, the last time coming back in the 1999-00 season and Wickwar knows they will have it all to do if they are to match that record.
“It’s a huge game for us as historically we have never been that good in cup competitions and we go to Culver Road as massive underdogs. We will give it one hell of a go.”
Hassocks: Alex Harris; Bradley Tighe, Ashley Marsh, Rowan Wallis, Luke Akehurst; Bradley Bant, Josh Hawkes, James Westlake, Jonno Melia; Phil Gault, Michael Death.
Subs: Jack Wilkins (Death), Dan Stokes (Bant), Tom Barnes (Melia), Phil Wickwar (unused).
