THREE GOALS IN FOUR MINUTES END UNITED’S HASSOCKS HOODOO
For the best part of a decade, the Sunshine Coast has lived up to its name for Hassocks whenever they have visited Eastbourne United.
Six times since 2010 the Robins have gone to the Oval and six times they’ve returned to Mid Sussex with three points in the bag.
It’s an extraordinary run which is made even more remarkable when you consider the fact that despite their hoodoo over United, only twice have Hassocks gone onto finish above them in the Premier Division table.
One of those occasions was last season, when the Robins 12th place was their highest for five years; United meanwhile required a last-minute goal in their final game of the season away at Pagham to avoid relegation to Division One.
There seems to be little chance of a repeat of any of that this time around. Hassocks are now the side concerning themselves with a relegation battle – East Preston’s win over Crawley Down Gatwick saw the Robins slip into the bottom three for the first time this season – while United have eyes fixed firmly up the table, a fact underlined by their 4-1 victory.
This always looked like the day that United would end their barren run against the Robins as coming into the clash, you couldn’t have met two sides with starker contrasts in fortune.
Since Matt Crabb was appointed manager at the Oval in mid-September, United had won their past seven games in a row in all competitions.
Hassocks meanwhile have tasted victory in just two Premier Division fixtures so far this season, their cause not helped by an injury list longer than a Leo Tolstoy novel.
Losing last week’s home game with AFC Uckfield Town to a waterlogged pitch did at least give Mark Dalgleish an extra week to get some of his walking wounded back into shape.
As a result, there was a much more experienced look about his starting XI, not least in defence where Arni Kublickas, Harry Mills and Dan Stokes replaced teenage trio Jack Gardner, Luke Marshall and Dan Turner.
There was also a welcome return for Alex Spinks who made his first start since August while Jack Troak was back in the side having been side lined since the start of the month with an injury picked up deep into extra time of the Sussex Senior Cup win at Arundel at the start of the month.
Hassocks have spent the past few weeks training with Brighton & Hove Amateur Boxing Club and they certainly displayed fighting spirit for the opening half hour.
United as a result created nothing. The hosts had to wait until the 30 minute mark to register their first shot, Sam Crabb’s effort never really troubling Josh Green as it sailed wide of the post.
Even with nine minutes of the half remaining, it was still 0-0 and Hassocks looked like they would make it to the break on level terms.
That was until an astonishing collapse that saw United score three times in four minutes, effectively sewing the game up inside of 240 seconds.
Nobody was able to put a convincing tackle on Kane Penn as the United forward embarked on a solo run which took him cut through the Hassocks defence and beat Green to make it 1-0 with 36 minutes played.
Two minutes later and it was Penn who doubled the lead, hitting a stunning effort into the top corner from a full 25 yards which left Green with no chance.
It also left the Robins shell shocked and after only another two minutes, United made it 3-0. Nathan Crabb was the scorer this time, taking advantage of a lot of confusion in the Hassocks box to slot home.
The game was gone by that point but Hassocks did at least tighten up in the second half. They even managed to pull one back on the hour mark through James Littlejohn, who gave another livewire performance going forward.
Green had to be alert to stop the scoreline getting any worse at the other end, making a fine stop from Sam Crabb just after Littlejohn’s consolation and then by denying home substitute Sam Schaff from a one-on-one in injury time.
There was little Green could do about United’s fourth which came in-between those two stops and had more than a whiff of offside about it.
Sam Crabb was the scorer, the linesman deeming his run to have been timed to perfection and he finally found a way past Green with a clinical finish into the bottom corner.
Hassocks: Josh Green; Dan Stokes, Harry Mills, Arni Kublickas, Harvey Blake; Harvey Enticknap, Alex Spinks; Jamie Hillwood, James Littlejohn, Jack Troak; Ben Bacon.
Subs: Liam Benson, Luke Marshall (used).
