CROWS LEAVE IT LATE TO DOWN RESILIENT ROBINS
Their interest in cup competitions may be over for another season, but Hassocks were far from disgraced in exiting the Sussex Senior Cup 1-0 at the hands of Crowborough Athletic.
The Crows have been in imperious form in the Southern Counties East Premier Division this season. They arrived at the Beacon unbeaten in all competitions since the first weekend of September, having racked up a quite remarkable 22 victories and three draws in their previous 25 games.
Compare that to Hassocks’ wretched recent run and you could have been forgiven for thinking that the Robins would be in for a long evening, even with the carrot of a potential home meeting with Brighton and Hove Albion Under 23s being dangled tantalising in front of the winner.
As it was, it took until the final five minutes for Crowborough to score the only goal of the game through Ross Treleaven to eventually book their quarter final berth in a game that ebbed and flowed throughout.
Hassocks rang the changes with Ashley Marsh, Josh Hawkes and Liam Benson all coming into the starting line up as a direct response to the weekends woeful result against Wick and although the visitors enjoyed the lions share of possession, it was a fairly even opening 45 minutes.
James Broadbent was probably expecting to be in for a busy night, yet his only work of note in the opening 45 came when denying Tom Pearson after 12 minutes and keeping out a Treleaven free kick towards the end of the half.
There were also sighs of relief all round as Ashley Marsh produced an excellent block from Pearson and Jason Barton saw a header from a Henry Muggeridge corner hacked off the line.
Hassocks meanwhile had decent opportunities from Phil Gault with a quarter of an hour played which Dan Ellis in the Crows goal did well to keep out and Bradley Tighe perhaps should’ve done better with a header in terms of getting it on target from a Bradley Bant delivery.
Into the second half and Broadbent reacted smartly to infiltrate a cross from Wayne Clarke with Pearson loitering with intent at the far post.
Minutes later his opposite number Ellis said anything you can do, I can do better with a breathtaking stop from a Gault effort which looked to all the world to be destined for the back of the net.
Crowborough had another shot blocked on the line, Broadbent denied Tom Vickers and Muggeridge and Jack Turner sent a header just over as the visitors ramped up the pressure, yet still they could find no way past the resilient Robins.
Normally, when a Hassocks game looks like it is heading towards extra time it is indicative of a lack of quality on the pitch and people just want it to be over, but nobody would’ve begrudged having to watch an additional 30 minutes of this.
Unfortunately, Treleaven had other ideas as he latched onto a through ball of real quality from Muggeridge to score what proved to be the games decisive goal.
Hassocks threw on Michael Death against his former club as an instant response to going behind but they were unable to test Ellis even with an additional forward on the pitch.
Indeed, it could have been Crowborough who made the margin of victory more convincing but once again Broadbent proved equal to a Treleaven effort and Zac Attwood fired just over.
Hassocks: James Broadbent; Bradley Tighe, Jordan Badger, Ashley Marsh, Luke Akehurst; Harry Mills; Josh Hawkes, James Westlake; Bradley Bant; Phil Gault, Liam Benson.
Subs: Lewis Westlake (Hawkes), Michael Death (Bant), Spencer Slaughter, Dan Stokes, Tom Barnes (unused).
Starman: Liam Benson.
