SCORE DRAW AGAIN BETWEEN ROBINS AND WANDERERS
It might be worth keeping an eye on fixtures between Hassocks and Langney Wanderers in the future if the first two meetings are anything to go by.
Back in September, these two played out a 2-2 draw that had just about everything in their first ever clash at senior level at Priory Lane.
And while the reverse fixture at the Beacon couldn’t quite match the drama that came with Jordan Badger’s last minute equaliser six months ago, both the scoreline and the entertainment levels were exactly the same.
Both the Robins and Wanderers are finishing the campaign strongly. Hassocks passed the 40 point mark with their third victory in four games away at Crawley Down Gatwick last weekend whilst the visitors had won their past three games in a row before arriving in Mid Sussex.
Mark Dalgleish made just one change from the previous weekend’s success at the Haven, former Woking forward George Brown being handed his first start for the Robins in place of the absent Jake Lindsey.
Any latecomers in the Beacon’s second highest attendance of the season so far would’ve regretted their tardiness as within five minutes, both sides were already on the score sheet.
It was Langney who got the party started with just three minutes on the clock, Tyreece Daley opening the scoring for the visitors after some slack Hassocks defending.
Wanderers’ lead was short lived however thanks to Dan Stokes. Stokes has been in excellent form of late in the midfield engine room with the only thing really missing from his game being goals.
He chose an opportune time to set the record straight in that regard, scoring for the fourth time this season and the first time since September with a neat finish to level things up.
Both sides went hammer and tongs at each other after that with Stokes and Harvey Enticknap creating countless opportunities for Hassocks but it was telling that Langney goalkeeper Dan Hutchins ended the game as the visitors man-of-the-match.
The Wanderers’ custodian constantly thwarted Hassocks’ front three of Brown, Liam Benson and Phil Johnson as an entertaining encounter ebbed and flowed.
At the other end, Will Broomfield and Jordan Badger in particular stood strong against a Langley front line containing the considerable talents of former Eastbourne Town pair Evan Archibald and Tyler Capon.
Hassocks found a way past Hutchins just past the hour mark and it will came as no surprise that it was Johnson who put the hosts ahead.
The Robins’ talismanic forward has hit a real purple patch at the moment and his 63rd minute strike was his seventh in his past three games since returning from injury and his 27th of the season.
Johnson has now eclipsed his previous best season’s total for Hassocks of 26 and with five games still remaining, he could yet become only the third player to break the 30 goals in a campaign mark for the club this century after Phil Gault and Pat Harding.
Landmarks aside, it looked like Johnson’s strike would also prove to be the winner right up until the 83rd minute when Capon netted the goal of the game with a superb finish that left Josh Green with no chance.
In keeping with the rest of a thrilling clash, both sides had chances to win it late on but come the full time whistle, the draw was probably a fair result and one which certainly drew the approval of the bumper crowd.
Hassocks: Josh Green; Bradley Tighe, Will Broomfield, Jordan Badger, Andy Whittingham; Harvey Enticknap, Lewis Westlake, Dan Stokes; George Brown, Liam Benson, Phil Johnson.
Subs: James Littlejohn, Joe Bull, Harry Mills (used), Harvey Blake, Dan Jacques (unused).
Starman: Harvey Enticknap
