LITTLEJOHN LEAVES IT LATE TO EXTEND ROBINS RAMPANT START
They left it late, but two goals in the final 10 minutes from James Littlejohn earned Hassocks Under 23s a 2-1 win at Southwick to maintain their impressive start to the season.
The campaign may only be three games old, but the Robins will be pleased with their position at the top of the table having taken seven points out of a possible nine.
They arrived at Old Barn Way having dished out a 9-0 hammering to Midhurst & Easebourne but this was always likely to be a much sterner test against opponents who’d given the Robins a real run for their money in last seasons meetings, a 2-2 draw at the Beacon and an eventual 5-3 victory for Hassocks down on the coast.
Southwick had themselves been on the end of a heavy defeat last time out, losing 6-1 at Horsham YMCA although they had ground out an impressive 2-1 win in a local derby with Mile Oak on the opening day.
It looked like a similarly resilient performance might inflict a first defeat of the season on Hassocks, given that the Wickers led until there were just eight minutes of the game remaining.
Jakob Ross’ strike five minutes before half time looked like it would give the hosts all three points until Littlejohn’s late intervention as he netted in 82nd and 85th minutes to turn the game on its head.
Littlejohn’s goals capped off a memorable 48 hours for the striker. He’d scored his first senior goal in the first teams 3-2 comeback win over Bexhill United on Tuesday night and this brace took him onto six goals in three games for the under 23s.
Given that Hassocks were without the services of last seasons top scorer Max Willcox who picked up an injury in the win over Midhurst, Littlejohn’s scoring form has come at just the right time for Nigel Pearce’s side.
Willcox was replaced by George Galbraith-Gibbons in Hassocks’ only change from the previous week. Josh Green retained his place in goal despite having joined Littlejohn in the first team starting line up two days previously while Pearce gave Kieran Dimelow his first appearance of the season from the bench and handed an under 23 debut to Ben Jonas, part of last seasons treble winning under 18 side.
Hassocks are next in action on Thursday 20th September when reigning champions Pagham visit the Beacon.
Already the Robins and the Lions occupy the top two spots in the table as they did last season in reverse order. Kick off in what looks a mouthwatering clash is at 7.45pm.
Hassocks: Josh Green, Ellis Common, Kieran Wells, Louie Derham, James Oliver, Solly Ross, Connor Bradley, Harvey Enticknap, Martin Ratcliffe, George Galbraith-Gibbons, James Littlejohn.
Subs: Jake Lane, Joe Russell, Ben Jonas, Will Glenn, Kieran Dimelow
