GR-EIGHT SHOWING FROM HASSOCKS SENDS THEM THROUGH IN COUNTY CUP
It was a professional job from Hassocks Under 18s as they advanced to the second round of the Sussex Bluefin Dennis Probee Youth Cup.
Standing in their way were Lewes Juniors, a side playing at a lower standard than the Robins but who could have provided a potential banana skin for Brad Sweetman’s side.
That they didn’t says much about the performance delivered by the young Robins as they ran out comfortable 8-1 winners – and that was despite seeing Harry Meredith sent off for two bookable offences on his first start of the campaign.
Meredith was one of three changes made by manager Brad Sweetman from the side who defeated Shoreham 2-1 in their last outing. Also coming in were Freddie Gamblin and Lewis Reep.
Dropping out were Yahya Azizi and Charlie Jones through unavailability while Luke Marshall had to settle for a place among the substitutes.
Not that anyone minded; Marshall’s demotion coming at the end of a week in which he’d made his senior debut away at Arundel in the first teams extraordinary 6-4 Sussex Senior Cup win.
He’d then maintained his place for the previous day’s 4-0 loss at Langney Wanderers and having also been involved with the Under 23s on the Thursday in-between those two first team games, Sweetman sensibly decided to rest him.
It’s been a good week for Under 18s making the step up actually as Jack Gardner had also made his senior bow as a substitute in that Langney defeat, proving that the famous Robins production line shows no sign of slowing down.
The young Robins’ victory over Shoreham had come three weeks ago, since when Hassocks haven’t kicked a ball in anger. They were given a week off and then saw their fixture with Broadbridge Heath postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, a strange scenario given it was still September and we’ve had an exceptionally dry summer.
That lack of match action could have left them a little ring rusty but they showed no signs of it as they set about the task of avoiding an upset with impressive rigour.
Top scorer Harrison Lees ended the morning with two more goals for the season, taking his haul to four in three games and there was also a brace from Gamblin.
Those were Gamblin’s first goals for the club while Lewis Beebee also opened his account and in some style, smashing an impressive hat-trick past the Rooks. That’s seven for those keeping count; Hassocks’ other goal arriving from Finlay McDermott.
The victory sets up the possibility of a mouth watering local derby with last season’s runners up Burgess Hill Town at the second stage of the competition, providing the Hillians can overcome Maidenbower Colts in their own first round clash.
Hassocks: Toby Fisher, Lewis Reep, Oliver Charlesworth, Harry Meredith, Freddie Gamblin, Alex Crawford, Jack Gardner, Harrison Lees, Alfie Loversidge, Finlay McDermott, Lewis Beebee.
Subs: Luke Marshall, Guy Underwood (used).
