FOURTH TIME LUCKY AS ROBINS FINALLY WIN IN CUP
After three previous attempts, Hassocks finally won a tie in the Southern Combination League Under 23 Cup as they hammered Peacehaven & Telscombe 6-0 to progress to round three of the competition.
First half doubles from James Littlejohn and Max Willcox had the game all but wrapped up by the time the teams headed for their half time oranges with youth team striker Tristan Hayes coming off the bench to net a second half brace of his own for a convincing win for Nigel Pearce’s side.
Since the advent of the Under 21 section in 2015, Hassocks had crashed out at the earliest possible stage of this competition to Shoreham in the first two editions and then against AFC Uckfield Town last season.
There was to be no repeat of that heartache here and with the monkey off their back, the Robins will fancy their chances of going some way into the competition as the current West Division leaders, especially as their nearest pursuers in the league Horsham YMCA are already out.
The three outstanding sides from Peacehaven’s East Division remain with leaders AFC Uckfield Town, second place Eastbourne Town and reigning champions Newhaven all still in the pot which means that Hassocks will have to beat the best at some point of they are to make this the first trophy that they’ve ever won at Under 23 level.
Pearce made a handful of changes from the side who’d seen their interest in their other knockout competition ended a week previously in a 4-2 Sussex Under 23 Challenge Cup defeat at home to Hastings United.
Kieran Wells, Will Glenn and Martin Ratcliffe all returned to the starting line up with Jake Lane, Matt Berridge and Joe Russell missing out, the latter two through unavailability while Lane had to settle for a spot on the bench.
It took Hassocks just five minutes to open the scoring, Littlejohn netting and three minutes later his strike partner Willcox had doubled the advantage.
Littlejohn added his second and Hassocks’ third with 20 on the clock, after which the Tye nearly made it to half time without conceding again, only for Willcox to complete his brace five minutes before the break.
17-year-old Hayes was introduced from the substitutes bench and he wasted no time in scoring his first goal for the Under 23s, making it 5-0 just before the hour mark.
The youth team striker already has 13 goals in eight appearances for Brad Sweetman’s Under 18s this season and he doubled his tally for Pearce’s team with five minutes remaining to round off the scoring and give Hassocks their joint biggest victory of the season.
It was an impressive way for the Robins to bounce back from their heartache against Hastings the previous week. It also sets them up nicely for a huge run of three games between now and Christmas with the stand out fixture of those being the eagerly anticipated top of the table clash between Hassocks and YMCA.
That will take place at the Beacon on Thursday 6th December, sandwiched between another home game against Southwick next Thursday night and a trip to the Lashmar to face East Preston a week later in their final outing before breaking up for Christmas and New Year.
Hassocks: Josh Green, Ellis Common, Kieran Wells, Ben Jonas, James Oliver, Will Glenn, Connor Bradley, Harvey Enticknap, Martin Ratcliffe, Max Willcox, James Littlejohn.
Subs: Louie Derham, Jake Lane, Tristan Hayes.
