MCCREADIE TREBLE DOES FOR HASSOCKS AGAIN
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year according to the song by Andy Williams, and you probably won’t hear Trevor McCreadie disagreeing as for the second consecutive season he hit a Boxing Day hat-trick to ensure Haywards Heath Town won the Mid Sussex Derby 4-1 against Hassocks.
The biggest crowd of the season crammed into the Beacon with plenty believing that a shock could be on the cards. Heath arrived on the back of two consecutive defeats which had blown the Southern Combination League title picture wide open and was the worst run of Shaun Saunders’ reign as Blues manager.
Those beliefs were strengthened when Hassocks took the lead inside of two minutes through Jordan Badger but eventually Heath – and in particular, McCreadie – proved to have too much for their young opponents.
In the end, it turned out to be a comfortable win for the Premier Division leaders against a Hassocks side fielding seven players under the age of 21 in their starting line up and two under 18s appearing from the bench.
The start Heath made to the game was anything but comfortable though. Hassocks have developed a reputation of being terrible at defending set pieces over the last few seasons but the glove was on the other hand here as Heath got themselves into a right muddle from a well worked Robins short corner routine.
James Westlake played the simplest of passes to George Galbraith-Gibbons, whose sauntering run from the edge of the box towards Westlake in order to receive the ball to feet went completely unchecked by Heath.
That left Galbraith-Gibbons with the time and space to send in a cross. After some pantomime defending, the loose found its way to Badger who fell over it to turn it over the line.
Hassocks dominated possession after that without ever really testing Simon Lehkyj in the Heath goal before the visitors were given a helping hand back into proceedings from the penalty spot just before the 20 minute mark.
Callum Saunders sent in a free kick from out on the right with Alex Laing going over in the box after a coming together with Badger.
There was only one half-hearted appeal from a Heath player but remarkably that was enough to convince referee Chris Bowen to award a penalty. McCreadie gleefully tucked it past Hassocks’ debutant goalkeeper Aaron Agate for the equaliser.
Agate was hastily signed from Mid Sussex Premier Division side Cuckfield Rangers to replace the suspended Nathan Stroomberg and he gave a good account of himself, making solid stops from McCreadie in both the first and second halves.
Hassocks lost Charlie Pitcher with the returning Dan Stokes taking his place and that, along with McCreadie’s leveller, seemed to galvanise Heath as Josh Tuck blocked an effort on the line from Saunders and Scott Chamberlain’s shot from the edge of the box proved to be of more danger to those enjoying a day at the neighbouring garden centre than the Robins goal.
Spencer Slaughter made a perfectly timed block on McCreadie and it looked as though Hassocks were going to make it to the break on level terms until the final few seconds of the half when Saunders produced a delightful header back across goal and into the far corner after a deep cross from Laing.
Hassocks began the second half brightly with Galbraith-Gibbons going close with a header from a Westlake free kick and from the resulting corner, Lehkyj completely missed his punch but Tuck’s connection flashed across the face of goal and wide.
That was a let off for Heath and their response was to go straight up the other end where McCreadie added his second and Heath’s third of the morning, Karly Akehurst lifting a ball over the top and with Tuck hesitating for just a second, McCreadie was able to nick in front of the Hassocks defender and finish past Agate.
Lehkyj had to be sharp off his line to deny Galbraith-Gibbons after the Robins youth team striker intercepted an under hit back pass from Saunders.
That was Hassocks’ last chance and minutes later Heath sewed up the game with their fourth, McCreadie latching onto a ball in from debutant Adebola Sotoyinbo to complete his hat-trick.
Hassocks: Aaron Agate; Joe Maskell, Josh Tuck, Spencer Slaughter, Jordan Badger; Matt Berridge, James Westlake, Harry Mills, Bradley Bant; George Galbraith-Gibbons, Charlie Pitcher.
Subs: Dan Stokes, Kieran Dimelow, Ben O’Leary (used).
Starman: Spencer Slaughter.
