THREADBARE HASSOCKS EARN POINT FROM LONG JOURNEY WEST
On a day in which the classic case of ‘Selsey knee’ became a talking point on Twitter, Hassocks Under 23s returned from the long trip to the Bunn Leisure Stadium with a 1-1 draw despite having a bare 11.
For the unaware, ‘Selsey knee’ was a condition that has plagued Hassocks players for many years. It’s a strange injury that often struck down normally fit individuals just prior to the Robins making the 45 mile trip west to Selsey.
Those who suffered from ‘Selsey knee’ would then make a quick recovery, often being fully fit for the next game even if it came just three days after they’d been so crocked that they couldn’t even travel to Selsey.
When former Robins forwards Richard Thomas and Pat Harding were discussing ‘Selsey knee’, little did they have know that the problem had swept through Dave John’s Under 23 squad.
At least 11 regulars were missing. As a result, John had to rope in first team midfielder Harvey Enticknap and assistant manager Brad Sweetman to play the entire 90 minutes.
Two members of Sweetman’s Under 18s squad were handed debuts; top scorer Harrison Lees coming into the attack with Charlie Jones also making his first appearance for the Under 23s.
Completing the unusual line up was Kieran Dimelow, a good game for him to be available and Toby Fisher who made a rare start in goal to take the number of youth team players appearing to four with Luke Marshall also in the line up.
This lack of availability was in stark contrast to Selsey, who used a full compliment of five substitutes over the course of the 90 minutes.
It says much about the fight that Hassocks showed that despite the Blues being able to introduce so many pairs of fresh legs, the Robins still left with a point.
Both sides came into the game a little rusty. Hassocks had played just one West Division game since November 28th while the Blues had played just three times themselves in the past 13 weeks.
Selsey had however been in good nick when they’d managed to get onto the pitch. All eight of their points had come in their previous seven outings as they’d hauled themselves above Worthing United and off the bottom of the league table.
Included in that run were four points from title challenging East Preston, a sign of the tough task facing Hassocks even before you took into the account the number of players missing.
Despite all the changes, it was an Under 23s regular who notched the Hassocks goal as George Galbraith-Gibbons claimed his seventh of the season.
That continued his recent fine form which culminated in a 93rd minute winner for the first team in their last outing against Horsham YMCA a little over two weeks ago.
Selsey’s goal came from Michael Woolston while referee Mehmet Sahin had a relatively busy evening, flashing cards to the host’s Harrison Baker, Dale Hayes and Ollie Humphries with Enticknap seeing yellow for Hassocks.
The Robins’ next game is in two weeks time away at Arundel, giving those suffering from ‘Selsey knee’ a fortnight to recover.
Hassocks: Toby Fisher, Luke Marshall, Thomas Jupp, Dan Turner, Ben O’Leary, Charlie Jones, Harvey Enticknap, Kieran Dimelow, Brad Sweetman, George Galbraith-Gibbons, Harrison Lees.
