Hassocks faced an action-packed September with eight games jammed into the second month of the 2019-20 season across four different competitions.
There was a history-making moment to kick things off as the Robins played their first ever Sunday game in senior football.
Southern Counties East League Division One outfit Meridian Valley Park provided the opposition in the preliminary qualifying round of the FA Vase. Hassocks certainly seemed to enjoy the experience of playing on the Lord’s day as they won 2-0 in south east London.
Substitute Jamie Hillwood got the party started when he opened his account for the season on 67 minutes. Jack Troak wrapped things up nine minutes later with his second goal in eight games since arriving from Lewes in the summer.
The victory was Hassocks’ first in the Vase since 2014 and gave them a home tie with Horley Town in the next round two weeks later. That didn’t go quite as well, the Clarets sauntering out of the Beacon with a 6-1 success.
Kerran Boylan scored two for the visitors with Tony Halsey, Russel Harvey, Mario Quiasacca and Dale Burgess also netting. The only bright spot for Hassocks was a first senior goal for young Joe Bull.
There were three games in between those two Vase outings. 48 hours after the win away at Meridian, Hassocks exited the FA Cup in a preliminary qualifying round replay following a 3-2 home defeat against Isthmian League South East side Chipstead.
A bumper Beacon crowd were treated to a ding-dong cup tie in which the Robins couldn’t quite do enough to force extra time.
Chipstead went into half time 1-0 ahead thanks to Tom Collins’ 20th minute opener. Within four minutes of the second half, James Littlejohn levelled for Hassocks.
Goals in the 68th and 82nd minutes from Daniel Moody and Jensen Grant respectively put the visitors 3-1 ahead but Troak’s 86th minute strike set up a tense final five minutes which the Chips just about saw out.
Four days later and Hassocks were beaten 4-1 at Eastbourne Town in their return to league action, although the final score only told half the story. The sides were level at the break, Aaron Capon’s opener for Town being cancelled out by Ben Bacon in first half injury time.
The Robins dominated the first 10 minutes of the second half, hitting the post with an easy opportunity. Had that gone in, things might have been very different.
After the woodwork came to Town’s rescue, they ruthlessly took advantage to go on and win the game. Capon scored his second shortly after and Dan Perry also helped himself to a brace as the Saffrons once again proved to be an unhappy hunting ground.
Hassocks made their first trip to Broadbridge Heath’s new High Wood Hill Sports Ground next, going down to a 2-1 defeat to a Bears outfit who were riding high in third spot in the early Premier Division table at the time.
All the goals came in the second half, Max Howell and Jamie Taylor scoring for Heath and Bacon netting for Hassocks, who gave a debut in goal to former 18-year-old Eastbourne Borough goalkeeper James Earl .
Mark Dalgleish was also able to call upon the services of Liam Benson, re-signed from Steyning Town in a boost to bolster the Robins’ firepower following the confirmation that Phil Johnson had broken a bone in his leg. Dalgleish’s options were further depleted when Jack Rowe-Hurst departed to Division One outfit Seaford Town.
The Vase defeat to Horley was followed by a troubling result when Pagham ended Hassocks’ interest in the Sussex Prinicpal RUR Charity Cup at the first hurdle with a devastating 3-0 win at the Beacon.
The Lions only victory so far had come against Hassocks in the league back in August, a 1-0 success at Nyetimber Lane in which the Robins could consider themselves unlucky to have lost. Not so on this occasion as Lewis Jenkins, Harrison Mott and Jake Heryet gave Bob Paine’s side a deserved success.
Things got worse for Hassocks at the weekend as they suffered a 3-1 home defeat against Lingfield. Harvey Enitcknap had given the Robins the lead but Jake Horn’s double and an outstanding strike from Ben Connolly ensured that the points went back to Surrey.
A miserable day was completed for Hassocks when Will Broomfield missed a late penalty. Home supporters did at least have the consolation of seeing Johnson and Harvey Blake offering plenty of entertainment as they attempted to work the bar in the absence of Owen John. What Dalgleish would have given to have those two on the pitch rather than pulling pints.
After a winless month in the league, September’s final fixture against bottom side Loxwood looked very important. A thoroughly entertaining afternoon saw Hassocks score six, Loxwood score two and there was a red card for former Robin Spencer Slaughter for good measure.
The star of the show was Littlejohn who completed his first senior hat-trick inside seven breathless second half minutes. Bacon added two further goals in the final five to add some gloss to the scoreline after Bull had claimed the opener.
The Magpies had responded well to going behind, recovering to lead 2-1 through Callum Jenkins and another ex-Hassocks player, Josh Hawkes. They had no answer to Littlejohn though after the break.
The Under 23s played three times in September, winning one and losing two. They opened the month with a 2-1 defeat away at reigning West Division champions Horsham YMCA, Benson marking his first game back in Hassocks colours with the consolation.
Benson notched another two six days later in a 3-2 win over Selsey. Dan Turner was the other Hassocks scorer, his first goal at Under 23 level coming just before he suffered a nasty arm injury which saw him substituted and ruled out for a number of weeks.
That could not have come at a worse time for Turner, who had just broken into senior squad. Dave John’s side rounded the month off with a 1-0 defeat at East Preston to a Jamie Carroll goal.
The Under 18s began their season with two games in September. The campaign opened with a 3-1 Mid Sussex Derby defeat at St Francis Rangers and was followed by a 2-1 win at home to Shoreham. Harrison Lees was on target in both games with Alfie Loversidge the other scorer against the Musselmen.
After being crowned South East Counties League Division One champions and going the entire league season unbeaten in 2018-19, Hassocks Ladies were faced with a much tougher task as they joined the Premier Division for 2019-20.
They were doing so without the services of Billie Philpott, the previous season’s 37-goal top scorer who had departed for Saltdean United to deservedly try her luck at a higher level.
Martin Lee’s side began the campaign with a tough game against Lewes, who triumphed 2-1 at the Beacon with Kelly Rushworth getting the Hassocks goal.
An extraordinary 1-1 draw with Newhaven followed a week later. Two Robins players were injured in the warm up; goalkeeper Sarah Chappell who bravely played the first half anyway and Jodie Johanson who was ruled out completely.
Johnason’s place was taken by Rose Jump, who would go onto score the Hassocks goal on the hour mark, cancelling out Paige Ripley’s opener a minute before half time.
Chappell was unable to continue beyond the break with Rushworth the willing volunteer to take over in goal. Hassocks then lost Emma Flin after a collision of heads as they finished the game with 10 players, despite which they could have won it right at the death after Jump was bundled over in the box but the resulting spot kick was blasted over the bar.
The Ladies’ final match of September was equally dramatic as they overcame Crawley Wasps 3-2 at the Beacon for their first victory of the campaign.
Liz King struck the winner with less than two minutes remaining against a young Wasps side, who had rallied from being 2-0 down to goals from Rushworth and Claire Stevens to pull things back to 2-2 through Gina Johnson’s double. King’s late strike ensured the Robins claimed the three points.
