ROBINS DOWNED BY DOWN
Even for a side as notoriously slow to start the season as Hassocks, losing four of their first five league games in what is shaping up to be a highly competitive Southern Combination League Premier Division is a cause for concern.
“Stuck in a rut which we need to get out of,” may sound like like the lyrics from a song by 1990s Scottish band Travis, but it was also Phil Wickwar’s assessment of the predicament his side find themselves in after Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat to Crawley Down Gatwick.
That made it six consecutive defeats in all competitions; their solitary win from eight games coming against Arundel, who are now the only side below them in the table.
Down came to town with one win to their name as well but there could be no complaints about them taking all three points.
“We were not at our best and everyone in the camp is disappointed by the performance and the result,” Wickwar said afterwards.
The first half could effectively be divided up into thirds, Down dominating the first and last 15 minutes with Hassocks the better side in the middle part.
Nathan Stroomberg continued his excellent form in the Hassocks goal by keeping the visitors out in the opening stages, after which Hassocks came into things largely through Charlie Pitcher.
The young striker is still searching for his first Hassocks goal since returning to the club after a brief soiree at Haywards Heath Town and he came close on two occasions, drawing a good save from Seb Boss with a shot on the turn and then being foiled again by Boss who spread himself well.
Despite all their huffing and puffing, Hassocks weren’t able to blow the Down door down and they paid for that when Lee Thomas opened the scoring just past the half hour mark.
It was a fine individual goal from the wide man as he cut in from the left with ease and hit an effort past the stranded Stroomberg for 1-0.
Whatever was said by Wickwar and Mark Dalgleish at the break clearly had the desired effect as Hassocks were much the better side in the second half until they were hit by a sucker punch second from Down.
It came against the run of play and was controversial to say the least, Jordan Badger being harshly adjudged to have given away a penalty which Oliver Leslie duly converted.
Opinion was split 50-50 around the ground about whether referee Harry Tingley had made the right decision; the only certain view on the matter being that it was one of those that always seems to go against you when you are on the sort of run Hassocks are.
One positive for the Robins to cling to is that they didn’t give up after that and perhaps should’ve forced their way back into the game.
A far less controversial decision than the penalty was the judgement to chalk off a Hassocks goal for a clear offside, while the woodwork came to Down’s aid twice in quick succession.
The goal was coming and it duly arrived with 20 minutes remaining, Liam Benson scoring a quite beautiful header from a Lewis Westlake free kick for his third of the campaign.
Hassocks threw everything but the kitchen sink at Down after that but with bodies pouring forward like water over Niagra Falls, they were always susceptible to the counter attack.
That’s how Down netted their third with a swift break which was finished off by Leslie for his second of the afternoon, leaving Hassocks stuck in their rut.
Hassocks: Nathan Stroomberg; Luke Akehurst, Harry Mills, Jordan Badger; Kieran Rowe, Spencer Slaughter, Josh Hawkes, Lewis Westlake, Matt Berridge; Liam Benson, Charlie Pitcher.
Subs: James Westlake, Dan Stokes, Stanley Porthouse (used).
Starman: Nathan Stroomberg.
