DERBY DAY DEFEAT AS ROBINS ARE ROUTED
It had been 24 years since Haywards Heath Town and Hassocks last met in a competitive Mid Sussex Derby at first team level and it proved to be worth the wait for Heath as they ran out 4-1 winners at Hanbury Park.
The scoreline was a little harsh on the Robins with the finishing of Trevor McCreadie proving to be the difference between the two sides – two of his goals came inside the final five minutes – as the talented forward took his total for Heath to a remarkable 20 goals in 18 games since his arrival at the club a few months ago.
Still, the result was a pleasing one for Shaun Saunders who admitted afterwards it wasn’t his sides best performance.
His opposite number Phil Wickwar meanwhile found himself in the familiar territory of bemoaning his team giving away two cheap first half goals which in effect handed the points to Heath.
The game went off at breakneck speed, Heath having two chances inside the opening five minutes. Both came from a couple of magical set piece deliveries from Jamie Weston against his former club as Callum Saunders saw a header blocked on the line and then Alex Laing rattled the crossbar.
Liam Benson went close with two headers of his own at the other end before Heath took the lead. No prizes for guessing where the goal came from, Weston conjuring up another wizard ball in which was bundled home by Tom Graves from inside the six yard box. Plenty of questions needed to be asked about Hassocks’ marking.
If that first goal was a case of questionable defending, then the second was an absolute Christmas gift. Harry Mills was the culprit, his attempted pass back looked suicidal at best even if it hadn’t have been woefully under hit and McCreadie didn’t need a second invitation to race away and slot past Alex Harris.
George Hayward was withdrawn at the break after being caught late on by Bradley Bant and his replacement Max Miller had the first chance of the second 45, his effort being hacked off the line by Tom Barnes who was turning into a one man blocking machine by this point.
James Shaw was called into action when he turned a Bant effort behind at full stretch and the Heath goalkeeper again did well to hold a Bant header after good work from substitute Nathan Miles, whose arrival gave the Robins some added quality in the final third.
It was Miles who earned the corner from which Hassocks scored, Heath doing a passable impression of their visitors in totally failing to get to grips with a Bant delivery which ended up flying directly into the back of the net.
Real chances after that were few and far between as the game became stretched. Harris held a Naime Rouanne distance effort and then half the ground thought that Hassocks had drawn level when Bant’s shot rippled the net but unfortunately for the Robins it was just the wrong side of the post.
That was a let off for Heath but it also proved to be the inspiration for them to go on and make the game safe through McCreadie’s late completion of his treble.
The first was a goal of real quality as he collected a Ryan Warwick pass, shaped to cross but ended up leaving Harris totally dumbfounded as the ball flew in at the near post.
That was followed by some nice foot work and a curling effort into the top corner which left Harris simply clutching at air.
Hassocks: Alex Harris; Bradley Tighe, Ashley Marsh, Jordan Badger, Tom Barnes; Harry Mills; James Westlake, Josh Hawkes; Bradley Bant; Liam Benson, Phil Gault
Subs: Nathan Miles, Lewis Westlake, Jamie Hillwood (used), Michael Death, Spencer Slaughter (unused).
Starman: James Westlake
