TIGERS MAUL ROBINS AT WINDY HILL PARK
The curtain came down on 2017 for Hassocks with yet another day to forget as they were defeated 3-0 on their first visit to Saltdean United in 16 years.
It’s been a year that the Robins won’t look back on too fondly and they end it on a run of no win in nine games which has left them in the Southern Combination League Premier Division drop zone, two points shy of safety.
They need to turn things around and fast if 2018 isn’t to be remembered as the year that the club suffered its first ever relegation for matters that have happened on the pitch, which would end their involvement in top flight football after 24 years.
“We were well beaten by a good team,” Phil Wickwar said afterwards. “You look at their team sheet and its full of recognisable names who could all play at a higher level.”
“Compare that to ours…we finished with three Under 18s on the pitch and two Under 21s while Aaron Agate in goal is playing only his second ever game at this level having agreed to help us out of a huge hole.”
“It was always going to be difficult coming here and we know we are in trouble. With three home games in a row to come, January is the time we need to dig in if we are going to get out of it.”
Four games in the division fell to the weather and although Saltdean passed an inspection, conditions were difficult with a heavy pitch and a strong wind battering the ground at the foot of the South Downs.
Hassocks defended that wind in the first half and they made a decent fist of it. It was pretty much all one way traffic towards the goal of Aaron Agate but the back four of Joe Maskell, Spencer Slaughter, Josh Tuck and Jordan Badger stayed relatively strong.
United had only one goal to show for their efforts coming in at the break. That came in the 36th minute from a fantastic finish from Rob O’Toole, one of the many high quality signings Saltdean have been able to bring in and that led them to be labelled as dark horses for the title following their lifting of the Division One title last season.
That hasn’t quite worked out as they are some way off the cluster of clubs at the top of the table, but they remain dangerous opponents and should have made it 2-0 just before the break when they hit the post from a corner.
The resulting scramble could’ve been played out to the Benny Hill theme tune with some great defending from Hassocks eventually leading to the ball being cleared.
It was from a corner of their own that Hassocks had their only real chance of the first half, Tuck causing panic among the United defence but he couldn’t quite direct an excellent James Westlake delivery towards goal.
With the wind now in their favour, Hassocks would have fancied their chances of getting back into things in the second half as they looked to bring lone front runner Michael Death into things more.
George Galbraith-Gibbons got in down the right flank but his finishing wasn’t the best and Hassocks did have the ball in the goal when Harry Mills netted but a correct offside flag was raised.
United doubled their lead on 53 minutes and there was plenty of controversy about the goal. Right back Joe Maskell was on the receiving end of a terrible challenge as he attempted to push forward which remarkably referee Ciaran Fiddler let go.
That left Hassocks exposed, both in terms of having one man writhing around in pain on the deck and out of position and United ruthlessly exploited Mr Fiddler’s decision not to award a foul by storming up the other end and making it 2-0 through Ryan Warwick.
Maskell’s afternoon was at an end after that tackle and he could be out of action for up to a month, adding another name to the Robin’s already lengthy injury and unavailability list which already includes the likes of Charlie Pitcher, Ashley Marsh, Adam Dawson, Will Broomfield, Lewis Westlake and goalkeepers Nathan Stroomberg and Alex Harris.
The forced withdrawal of Maskell saw Hassocks to be bold and they threw on a striker for their full back as 17-year-old youth team striker Jake Atherton became the latest player from the Under 18s to be given a first team debut this season, showing some good touches as he joined the lacklustre Death in attack.
While Hassocks are forced to call upon teenagers, Saltdean contain former professionals among their ranks and it was one of those in ex-Bristol Rovers midfielder James Fraser who rounded off the scoring with the hosts third, another fine counter attacking goal with seven minutes remaining.
Hassocks: Aaron Agate; Joe Maskell, Josh Tuck, Spencer Slaughter, Jordan Badger; George Galbraith-Gibbons, James Westlake, Phil Gault, Harry Mills, Jack Wilkins; Michael Death.
Subs: Jake Atherton (used).
Starman: James Westlake
