EIGHT IN A ROW AS ROBINS BEATEN BY BRIDGES
Records are made to be broken but this was one record Hassocks did not want to break. For the first time in senior football, the Robins have now lost eight consecutive matches following a 2-0 home defeat to Three Bridges.
It always looked a tough ask for them to avoid embarking on the worst losing run the club have endured in at least 30 years.
Bridges are looking to make an instant return to the Bostik League after relegation last season and if that didn’t already make them pretty strong favourites for this clash at the Beacon, then the fact Hassocks have beaten them only six times in 30 previous meetings pointed to the size of the task.
As it was, Hassocks ended up giving their best performance since the opening few weeks of the campaign and that was despite notable absentees in the shape of the unavailable Westlake brothers, Josh Hawkes, Harry Mills and Charlie Pitcher.
Spencer Slaughter meanwhile was only fit enough for a place on the bench as the combative midfielder continues to have a problem with fluid on his knee carefully managed.
On the plus side, Hassocks were finally able to give a debut to Will Broomfield. The midfielder has been training with Hassocks since the start of pre-season but has been unable to play due to the farcical situation of it taking over six weeks for him to receive international clearance from the FA. That was required due to Broomfield spending the last few years playing in America.
On this showing, the Robins will be cursing the delay as he was easily the best player in a red shirt, quite rightly taking home the man of the match award ahead of Tom Barnes, Ashley Marsh and Phil Gault.
The Hassocks defence has been much criticised this season so to have two centre halves making such an impression would no doubt have pleased the home contingent.
Broomfield wasn’t the only impressive debutant on show. Unfortunately for Hassocks, the other one not only played for Bridges but also opened the scoring for them inside of five minutes.
That was Michael Campbell, a recent acquisition from Carshalton Athletic and his rocket after a Liam Collins corner was only half cleared left Nathan Stroomberg with no chance.
It was the second week in succession that Hassocks had fallen behind before some supporters had left the sanctuary of the bar and those that missed it emerged from the Clubhouse to find Hassocks dominating after that early blow.
Bridges keeper Kieron Thorp was forced into fine saves, tipping over a Gault header and then denying Dan Stokes with his feet.
At the other end, Stroomberg was rarely troubled as Bridges were either guilty of shooting from some wildly unrealistic distances or of over playing their hand, particularly in the case of Jerome Walker who had more tricks than Paul Daniels but no end product.
Connor French went close with a header from a Lee Hall free kick in Bridges only other real chance of the first half but they started the second on the front foot, Walker finally showing there was more to his game than fancy footwork by drawing a fine low save from Stroomberg.
There were half chances for Death and Benson to equalise before Bridges added a killer second against the run of play on 64 minutes.
This time Campbell was the architect, breaking down the right before cutting the ball back for the lurking Mitchell Casselmann, the midfielder notching for an impressive sixth time this season.
The game petered towards its conclusion from that point on until three minutes from time, when a rash Nathan Simpson challenge on the halfway line sparked a 22 man brawl.
For a club known for being one of the more sporting in the Southern Combination League, games with Bridges always seem to bring out in the worst in Hassocks.
Last time they met in 2012, a similar melee ended with Bridges boss Paul Faili needing stitches for a cut above his eye. Thankfully, there was nothing so serious this time around, only bookings being dished out to the Bridges pair of Simpson and Nathan Koo-Boothe for their part in the fracas.
Hassocks: Nathan Stroomberg; Tom Barnes, Ashley Marsh, Jordan Badger; Joe Maskell, Will Broomfield, Phil Gault, Dan Stokes, Kieran Rowe; Michael Death, Liam Benson.
Subs: Spencer Slaughter (used).
Starman: Will Broomfield.
