OLD FOE MULLETS PROVE HARD FOR HASSOCKS TO BEAT
Arundel were never likely to be the easiest opponents for Hassocks Under 23s to return to Southern Combination League West Division action against after a seven week layoff.
The Robins don’t have particularly good memories of their previous meetings with the Mullets, with last season’s two games proving to be particularly hair-raising experiences.
The sides didn’t meet until mid-April when second place Hassocks went to Mill Road knowing that victory would set up a winner-takes-it-all clash with leaders Horsham YMCA the following week.
But the championship race never quite made it that far. Instead, Arundel hammered the Robins 4-0 thanks to goals from Jack Kates, Patricio Gomes and Harry Russell.
A week later and Hassocks lost 2-1 against YM at Gorings Mead and the title was all-but guaranteed to end up the with their hosts.
That was followed by the return meeting between the Robins and Arundel, which ended 1-1 at the Beacon. James Littlejohn got the Hassocks goal that night as hopes of a first Under 23 League title were finally extinguished.
The Robins haven’t quite hit the heights of last season so far, although they seemed to have turned a corner in their previous two West Division fixtures, hammering Oakwood 5-1 at Tinsley Lane and then beating Lancing 6-1 at the Beacon.
That Lancing fixture took place at the end of November, since when Dave John’s side have taken to the field just once when bowing out of the Sussex Under 23 Challenge Cup at the quarter final stage to Loxwood a week previously.
There were an five changes to the Hassocks line up from that 1-0 defeat at Plaistow Road. Charlie Pugh, Thomas Jupp, Kieran Dimelow and Harvey Enticknap were missing altogether while Sam Cash dropped down to the bench.
Their places were taken by Josh Green, Luke Marshall, Jack Troak, Joe Bull and top scorer George Galbraith-Gibbons. The returns of goalkeeper Green and forward Bull after several weeks absence were particularly welcome, especially with such a packed fixture list to come in February.
Galbraith-Gibbons meanwhile was on the scoresheet with his sixth of the season, a timely reminder to the first team management of his talents with something of a striker crisis gripping the senior squad.
Phil Johnson is out injured again and could be set for a lengthy spell on the side lines, leaving Liam Benson as the only fit and available striker at this moment in time.
Hassocks’ other goal came from James Westlake, the marathon man scoring for the first time since December 2018 when he notched for the first team in a 2-1 defeat at Eastbourne Town.
Arundel scored two of their own through Luke Jearum and Harry Callaghan; not the first time this season that Callaghan has proven to be a real handful for Hassocks.
The young winger had also starred for the Mullets when the first team travelled to Mill Road in the first round of the Sussex Senior Cup back in October.
A ridiculous game eventually ended 6-4 in the favour of the visitors and although the entertainment value on this occasion couldn’t quite meet that high standard, those who did brave the cold to watch still left having received their moneys worth from an enthralling 2-2 draw.
Hassocks are next in action next Wednesday night when they make the long trip to Selsey. Kick off is at 7.45pm at the Bunn Leisure Stadium.
Hassocks: Josh Green, Luke Marshall, Dan Turner, Max Donaldson, Ben O’Leary, Jack Troak, James Westlake, Lewis Westlake, Harvey Ransome, Joe Bull, George Galbraith-Gibbons.
Subs: Sam Cash, Matt Denyer, Alfie Loversidge, Jack Gardner.
