MASTAGARKOV AND TURNER DELIVER A FIRST WIN IN NINE
December may seem a little early to be talking about relegation six pointers, but such a toll has a run of six consecutive Premier Division defeats taken on Hassocks that their trip to East Preston had a make-or-break feel to it.
Defeat for the Robins would have extended the gap to EP in 16th to 12 points. It would have left Hassocks with just two wins to their name approaching the halfway point of a season that was fast running away from them.
The numbers would have looked grim. Perhaps more damaging would have been the psychological blow that a loss at the Lashmar would have inflicted, given that Hassocks named close to their strongest team for the tie.
Injuries have spread like wildfire through the camp since the Robins last won a Premier Division game in the final throes of September, giving them an excuse for a losing streak which, when you take into account cup games as well, reached a near-record breaking eight.
The theory went that once Mark Dalgleish had his star players back on the pitch, Hassocks’ campaign would turn around.
This was the first test of that hypothesis. Had Hassocks lost to a relegation rival with a full-strength side out, then the gloom would have deepened, what confidence that the Robins had left would have seeped away and a long, hard winter would have looked in store.
Thankfully, none of that happened. Instead, there is now some light at the end of the tunnel as second half goals saw Hassocks come from behind to pick up three very welcome points in a 2-1 victory.
There was great excitement among the visiting support when the teams were announced at the Lashmar. The headline grabbing news was that Phil Johnson was making his first start since breaking a leg against the same opponents in August.
Perhaps more pertinent though was the fact that Will Broomfield, so pivotal to how Hassocks play in the midfield engine room, was also back after missing much of the past eight weeks.
There were two further changes from the side who went down to Peacehaven & Telscombe a week earlier as Harvey Blake returned from suspension and James Littlejohn from unavailability.
Such was the strength available to Dalgleish that Jamie Hillwood, Ben Bacon and Dan Stokes all had to make do with places on the bench.
Yet for all that, it was two players scoring their first goals for Hassocks who ended up delivering victory for the Robins.
After a goalless opening 45 minutes, EP went ahead just before the hour mark through an excellent finish from Charlie Williamson.
Their lead was short-lived however as Blagomir Mastagarkov within five minutes had levelled things up with his first goal in English football.
The former Lokomotiv Plovdiv striker has looked a real find in his three appearances to date and this strike underlined that fact.
At over six feet tall, he’s a forward who offers something different to Dalgleish’s other striking options. His experience of playing in the top three divisions in his native Bulgaria will also prove invaluable to the Robins in their relegation battle – providing of course they can hold onto his services.
Hassocks’ other goal scorer comes from the other end of the experience spectrum, with 19-year-old Dan Turner netting what proved to be the winner with his first senior goal 10 minutes after Mastagarkov’s equaliser.
Turner has already proven himself to be a more than capable defender at this level of football after stepping up from the Under 23s and he also offers a real goal threat.
He’s notched three times in 10 games for the Under 23s from centre back this season, adding to the five goals he scored in 19 appearances in the Under 18s 2017-18 treble winning season.
Not that you’d realise quite how deadly he can be in the opposition box if you watched his penalty attempt for the Under 23s against Lancing nine days previously.
In footage that went viral, Turner settled for power over placement with the ball subsequently clearing the crossbar and the child’s playpark at the West End of the Beacon before disappearing into the night sky.
The edited video went onto show a football flying past sights such as the Brighton Pavillion, the Empire State Building, the Sydney Opera House and Mars – all a bit of a laugh.
Turner’s goal ensured that there were more smiles on Hassocks faces on the long trip back from EP too; Hassocks will be hoping that those smiles stay there over the coming weeks.
Hassocks: Charlie Pugh; Harvey Blake, Harry Mills, Dan Turner, Jack Troak; Alex Spinks, Will Broomfield, James Littlejohn, Liam Benson, Blagomir Mastagarkov; Phil Johnson.
Subs: Jamie Hillwood, Ben Bacon, Dan Stokes (used).
