FIVE MINUTES OF MADNESS COST HASSOCKS DEAR
On Thursday night, the Southern Combination League Premier Division relegation battle was made a lot more interesting with the news that AFC Uckfield Town had been deduced nine points for fielding an ineligible player, dragging them back into the mire.
Hassocks and the other sides around them at the bottom would’ve been hoping that it would give them an extra body to shoot at in the bid to survive, whilst also curtailing the hugely impressive form that had seen Anthony Storey’s side win seven of their past 10 games, including claiming the scalps of title challengers Haywards Heath Town and Peacehaven & Telscombe.
By Saturday evening, those hopes had evaporated as Town were leaving the Beacon with a comfortable 3-1 victory which they earned in the space of just five second half minutes as Hassocks collapsed alarmingly.
Things had been goalless and relatively even for the opening hour of the tie. Uckfield struck the woodwork twice in the first half through Matt Black but never looked comfortable dealing with the probing runs of the impressive Jake Lindsey.
Lindsey was one of the few bright spots on another dark afternoon but clearly, it is a lot to ask of a 17-year-old in only his eighth game of senior football to carry his sides attacking threat. He received little support from the lacklustre strike duo of Michael Death and Charlie Bennett.
Phil Wickwar picked up on this theme afterwards, saying, “The senior players need to start showing some character and some fight. They can’t leave it up to the youngsters to get us out of what looks a pretty desperate situation.”
Also desperate is the goalkeeper situation, as Wickwar once again found donning the gloves for the second week running.
He was the slightly busy keeper in the first half, denying Bailo Camara with a great block and looking generally assured dealing with the plethora of high balls pumped into his box despite taking heavy blows to the ribs and knees on a couple of occasions.
Hassocks started the second half the stronger and had a great chance to take the lead on the hour mark, Jordan Badger releasing Lindsey one-on-one but the teenage forward’s effort was brilliantly kept out by Louis Rogers in the Uckfield goal.
The importance of that save was made clear when the visitors went ahead just six minutes later. Substitute Bright Temba had only been on the pitch for seven minutes of his debut after signing from Eastbourne Town when he bundled home from close range after a low deflected cross caught out Wickwar, Spencer Slaughter and Josh Tuck.
The blame game still seemed to be going on for that one when Uckfield made it 2-0 within 90 seconds. Even by the Robins poor standards when it comes to marking, this was an atrocious goal to concede as they left not one, not two, but three men free at the back post, Camara being the man to take advantage.
Two minutes after that and it was game over although there was little Hassocks could do to prevent this one, Matt McLean rifling an absolute screamer into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Hassocks were awarded a soft penalty late on for a push in the box which captain Spencer Slaughter duly converted for his fifth of the season and there was still time after that for Wickwar to pull off another fine stop from McLean low down to his left.
Hassocks: Phil Wickwar; Joe Maskell, Josh Tuck, Spencer Slaughter, Jordan Badger; Dan Stokes, Harry Mills, Will Broomfield, Jake Lindsey; Charlie Bennett, Michael Death.
Subs: Bradley Bant, Jack Wilkins, George Galbraith-Gibbons (used), Ashley Marsh, Jake Atherton (unused).
