Hassocks heralded in a new era on the opening day of the 2018-19 Southern Combination League Premier Division season as Mark Dalgleish took sole charge of the Robins for the first time against Broadbridge Heath.
It had been a busy summer on the transfer front for Dalgleish as he sought to avoid a repeat of the 2017-18 season in which Hassocks had only avoided relegation into Division One because two sides went up into the Bostik League and only one came down.
That was reflected by the fact that he named four new signings in his starting line up against the Bears. Alex Harris, Dan Webster, Alex Spinks and Liam Benson all began the game with Harvey Blake enjoying his first taste of senior football with a 10 minute cameo from the bench.
And it was Benson who marked his return to the Beacon after nine months with Lancing with the opening goal from the penalty spot on 70 minutes after Jack Wilkins had been bundled over in the box by former Robins defender Glen Woodburn.
The lead was short lived however, Heath equalising just eight minutes later as Scott Weller delivered a defence splitting pass to Devon Fender who used his strength and pace to blast through and ensure the spoils were shared.
Three days later and the Hassocks faithful got an early glimpse of the team who would go onto be crowned champions as Chichester City came to the Beacon and blew the Robins away. Miles Rutherford’s side ended up running out 6-0 winners through a Gicu Iordache brace, Scott Jones, Dave Herbert, Jimmy Wild and Rob Hutchings.
There was at least one positive for the hosts to take as Dalgleish’s marquee signing Phil Johnson made his first appearance in a Hassocks shirt since leaving the Beacon in 2015, coming on for the final 25 minutes after an injury hit pre season.
Southern Counties East Premier Divison outfit Erith Town provided the opposition in the extra preliminary round of the FA Cup and despite Spencer Slaughter giving the Robins a seventh minute lead, their barren run in the world’s most famous cup competition continued.
Luis Valencia scored twice for the Dockers alongside Alex Nelson as they made the trek back to Kent with a 3-1 victory, stretching Hassocks’ winless run in the FA Cup to five years. A miserable afternoon was completed when Slaughter missed a penalty.
There was another defeat a week later away at Peacehaven & Telscombe, although the performance was much improved given that the Robins had to play for an hour with only 10 men after Spinks was dismissed for headbutting Tye captain Riley Grant.
The hosts were already 1-0 up by that point through Marcus Richmond but with Johnson causing all kinds of problems on his first start of the season, Hassocks equalised despite playing shorthanded when Alifeu Secka in the Peacehaven goal felled Johnson and Benson converted his second spot kick of the season.
Things were level for only five minutes as the Tye were awarded a penalty of their own after Curtis Ford was pushed in the back in the box. Richmond beat Harris from 12 yards and the hoses made the game safe when Jake Brocklebank hit a distance effort which looked like it was on its way to causing destruction to a nearby housing estate before it connected with Ford, whose buttocks managed to divert the ball in the complete opposite direction.
Undeterred, Hassocks went to Arundel three days later and got a deserved first win of the season at the fourth attempt. Benjamin Gray gave the Mullets the lead just past the half hour mark but Johnson ensured the sides went into the break level when equalising right on the stroke of half time with the first goal of his second spell with the club.
Dan Stokes put the Robins into the lead on the hour mark before a classic Johnson goal wrapped things up with just a minute of normal time remaining. Blake hit a long ball over the top which Johnson’s explosive pace took him onto and a brilliant first touch saw him round Daniel Stevens in the Arundel goal to slot home.
August ended on a mixed note as the Beacon hosted a Bank Holiday weekend double header. Crawley Down Gatwick visited on the Saturday in the second round of the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup when goals from Johnson and Benson ensured Hassocks’ safe passage via a 2-1 win.
Fast forward 48 hours and it wasn’t such a joyous occasion as Saltdean United inflicted a 4-1 hammering on Hassocks. Former Robins striker Ben Bacon was in sizzling form as he scored all four of the Tigers goals with Johnson replying for Hassocks, who also saw goalkeeper Harris sent off for dissent after the final whistle.
The Under 23s meanwhile took four points from a possible six at the start of their campaign. A 1-1 opening day draw at Lancing was followed by the side’s biggest ever victory a week later as they hammered Midhurst & Easebourne 9-0.
James Littlejohn scored four times and George Galbraith-Gibbons three with Max Willcox and Connor Bradley also on target in that astonishing win.
Wilkins was voted as Player of the Month after a highly encouraging start to the season with Blake making a suitable impression in his first seven games since arriving from Sporting Lindfield to finish second. Johnson’s three goals were enough to see him take third.
