ROBINS KICK OFF HUGE YEAR BY TAMING THE BEARS
What could be a huge 2019 for Hassocks Under 23s kicked off in the best way possible as they picked up three points from a 3-1 win away at Broadbridge Heath.
The Robins took to the field for their first game of the year sitting in second place in the Southern Combination League Under 23 West Division, some six points behind leaders Horsham YMCA but with two games in hand.
Come full time at the Leisure Centre, they were back at the top of the pile thanks to a combination of this victory and YM’s game against Midhurst & Easebourne failing to finish due to floodlight failure at Gorings Mead.
That leaves the Robins in pole position in the title race and although there will no doubt be many more twists and turns before the seasons end, the manner of their victory over Heath should serve them well for the future.
The Bears departure from Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre to take up residency in their new home at the High Wood Hill Sports Ground is imminent and as result, the playing surface at their soon-to-be-former home has been left to fall into something of state of disrepair.
That made playing football difficult and Hassocks had to dig deep to grind out a result against opponents who, although struggling, had victories to their names against reigning champions Pagham and Selsey, the only side to beat Hassocks so far this season.
Robins manager Nigel Pearce made four changes to the side that had taken to the field in Hassocks’ last outing, a 3-1 win away at East Preston four weeks ago.
In came Kieran Wells, Joe Russell, Dan Stokes and Harvey Enticknap, taking the places of Jake Lane, Matt Berridge, Martin Ratcliffe and Max Willcox.
The presence of Stokes was a particular boost to Hassocks as the midfielder looks to get match fit having been unavailable for the first team since the turn of the year.
It’s easy to forget that Stokes is still eligible for under 23 football due to the fact he’s been a regular in the senior side since turning 18 and having a player with over 125 appearances to his name certainly helped Hassocks on this occasion.
It was another player who features regularly for the first team who opened the scoring, James Littlejohn notching his 13th goal of the season just two minutes before half time.
That should have ensured that Hassocks went into the break in the lead, but Heath managed to equalise almost immediately through Dane Riecker.
The second half was just five minutes old when Harvey Enticknap put Hassocks into the lead, the goal capping a good week for the midfielder after he was also voted man-of-the-match in the first team’s 1-0 win over East Preston at the weekend.
For the first time this season, Pearce used his full complement of five substitutes to see the game out with Lane, Solly Ross, Steve Bright, Jordan Littlecott and George Galbraith-Gibbons all being introduced from the bench.
That highlighted the strength of the squad currently available to the Hassocks boss as Ross and Bright were making only their fifth and third appearances of the season respectively while this was midfielder Littlecott’s first competitive game of the campaign.
Galbraith-Gibbons meanwhile has developed something of a reputation as a super sub so far with all four of his goals coming from the bench.
He took that record to five with Hassocks’ third of the evening which wrapped up victory two minutes before time.
Hassocks: Green, Common, Wells, Russell, Derham, Stokes, Bradley, Enticknap, Glenn, Oliver, Littlejohn.
Subs: Lane, Ross, Littlecott, Galbraith-Gibbons, Bright (used).
