STROKES STRIKES LATE AS HASSOCKS COMPLETE ANOTHER COMEBACK
Write Hassocks off at your peril. For the sixth time this season, the Robins came from 2-0 down to rescue something from a game, on this occasion stunning Lancing to draw 2-2 at Culver Road.
This wasn’t their most impressive comeback – that was undoubtedly when they recovered to draw 3-3 away at champions Chichester City. Nor did they overcome as big a deficit as when turning around at half time trailing 3-0 at home to Loxwood in a game which ended 3-3.
They didn’t go onto win the tie either as happened in the Sussex RUR Charity Cup against Bexhill United when 0-2 at the break became 3-2 at the final whistle.
It was though the most celebrated of their comebacks. Dan Stokes’ equaliser with the last kick of the game sparked jubilant scenes among the travelling contingent and left sections of the home crowd seething as the Robins left Culver Road with a point for the first time since the artificial surface was installed at Sussex County FA HQ.
This was entertaining Bank Holiday fare which, although not a local derby in the traditional sense, certainly had the feel of a rivalry about it.
That’s probably because of the number of players who have moved between these two clubs this decade. Hassocks had four former Lancers in their squad in Josh Green, Bradley Tighe, Liam Benson and Lewis Westlake whilst Alex Bygraves and Michael Death were both ex-Robins in the hosts’ starting line up.
Death in particular was a lively presence in the first half. He tested Green with a header from a Matt Daniel cross which the Robins number one did well to keep out, managed to turn Will Broomfield before firing over the bar and dragged an effort wide after a fine move which swept up field after starting with Lancing goalkeeper Matt Evans.
Given that Hassocks had shipped five goals at home to bottom side Shoreham less than 48 hours earlier, Mark Dalgleish would have been pleased to see his side resisting Lancing relatively well despite the hosts’ pressure.
He’d completely rearranged his defensive players after that heavy defeat to the Musselmen. Tighe and Andy Whittingham took over the full back positions from Harvey Blake and Jordan Badger.
Badger was shifted to the centre of defence alongside the returning Broomfield and Harry Mills was moved forward to add some bite into midfield.
Mills certainly did that, much to the disgruntlement of the locals. Alongside Harvey Enticknap, the Robins central duo were masters of the dark arts all morning.
Mills entered referee Andrew Senior’s notebook before the first half was over and Whittingham joined him after a second half coming together with Bygraves with the Lancing captain also being booked for his part in the incident.
The main talking point arrived midway through the second half when Lancing were adamant that they should have had a penalty after Enticknap went sliding in on Daniel in the box. Enticknap meanwhile felt Daniel should have been booked for diving.
Had Mr Senior agreed with the hosts assessment of the situation, then a successful spot kick would have put Lancing 3-1 ahead and on easy street. As it was, Hassocks got away with it and there would be further fallout to come from the incident after the final whistle when Bygraves was shown a second yellow for dissent after apparently saying to the referee “How have you missed that?”
Lancing had taken the lead three minutes before the break when the lively Daniel tapped home from close range after Daniel Momah had done well to pull the ball back after making it to the byline.
Three was the magic number after the interval as well as Lancing needed just three minutes of the second half to double their advantage. Mike Williamson won possession in the middle of the park and played a perfect pass to send Momah away to finish coolly past Green.
Unlike in Saturday’s loss to Shoreham, Hassocks didn’t look out of this one at 2-0 down as the pace and power of Phil Johnson, Blake and Benson looked like it could cause the hosts problems on the break, especially as they began to tire.
Broomfield pulled one back with a real goal of the season contender with an extraordinary distance effort on the hour mark before Stokes struck in the last seconds to secure a share of the spoils, his curling cross from out on the left dropping over the head of Evans and just under the crossbar.
That was Stokes’ fifth of the season, making this the most prolific campaign of his senior career. It was also his second last-minute equaliser, following his late leveller at East Preston in September when the Robins first set their stall out as the comeback kings. Seven months later, and they’re still doing it.
Hassocks: Josh Green; Bradley Tighe, Will Broomfield, Jordan Badger, Andy Whittingham; Harvey Enticknap, Harry Mills, Dan Stokes; Harvey Blake, Liam Benson, Phil Johnson.
Subs: James Littlejohn, Joe Bull, Lewis Westlake (used), Dan Jacques (unused).
Starman: Will Broomfield.
