LUCKLESS HASSOCKS FALL AT ALFOLD IN SEASON OPENER
Six times last season Hassocks and Alfold attempted to meet in a competitive game for the first time and five times circumstances conspired against them.
Four of those matches fell to wet weather with the final two being lost once the Premier Division season was declared null and void.
It turned out to be a fixture worth waiting for. There were four goals, countless more chances, handbags and even a centre back playing in goal for 30 minutes on this opening day of the Premier Division season.
As for the final score, it finished 3-1 to the hosts with Hassocks left ruing missed chances and the woodwork.
Both sides came into the tie high in confidence after impressive FA Cup wins in midweek. On Wednesday, the Robins beat a side from outside the Southern Combination League in the FA Cup for the first time in 10 years when eliminating Balham.
24 hours earlier and Alfold had made the most sensational of debuts in the world’s greatest cup competition, winning their first ever FA Cup game 9-1 against Shoreham.
Such a scoreline is not what Dave John would have wanted to see, especially given a goalkeeper crisis which led to 45-year-old Phil Wickwar reluctantly donning the gloves.
The element of risk that comes with playing a goalkeeper who needs to oil his joints with WD40 before a game came to bite Hassocks when Wickwar had to leave proceedings just past the hour mark with a pulled calf.
He initially injured himself five minutes before the break when making a routine catch and despite trying to battle on, hobbled off after Alfold had made it 2-1.
Dan Turner took over in goal and you sensed that the disruption had killed any chance the Robins had of taking something from the game, which was a shame as they were well in it up until that point.
Charlie Pitcher in particular proved to be an absolute menace in the opening 45 minutes. He gave the Alfold defence such a torrid time that during the break, home centre back Clyde Jacques was spotted storming out of the clubhouse towards his car having changed out of his kit.
A member of the Alfold management team chased Jacques down. Whatever was said in the car park clearly did the trick as Jacques returned for the second half, in which all the goals arrived.
That is not to say that the first half was dull – far from it. Just seven minutes had expired when Pitcher rattled the post for the first time.
Two minutes later and Pitcher collected Harvey Enticknap’s clipped through ball but could only hit the one-on-one chance at James Stallon before skewing the rebound wide from a tight angle.
Alford’s first chance came when Kelvin Lucas put a shot into the neighbouring tennis club and the dangerous Tiago Andrade saw an effort cleared off the line by Enticknap.
Hassocks had by now realised that the hosts were not comfortable at all with balls over the top. Twice the Robins hit lofted passes which put James Littlejohn in; he blazed the first over and then looked to be held by Jacques when attempting to break into the box but the referee turned down the penalty appeals.
Up the other end and Sam Lemon had a sweet chance to give Alfold the lead until a brilliant last ditch tackle from Ben O’Leary saw the ball drizzle out. Remarkably, the referee awarded a goal kick for that one.
More great work from Pitcher gave Hassocks their best chance five minutes prior to the break as he robbed Jordan Mase on halfway before embarking on a powerful run into the Alfold box.
Stallon did well to push Pitcher’s initial effort wide. The Hassocks striker still managed to collect the loose ball but the angle was tight again and he rattled the post for the second time.
The second half was just nine minutes old when Alfold took the lead. Wickwar struggled to get off the ground to collect a cross, resulting in a Chuckle Brothers-style collision with Turner, leaving Andrade with an empty net to tap into.
Alfold were not ahead for long. Straight from the restart, Hassocks earned a free kick on the left and Troak’s delivery was met by a looping header from Pitcher.
The same post which had denied Pitcher twice was then hit by a Jacques header and Wickwar did well to save at the feet of Devon Fender.
Alfold’s second – and the end of Wickwar’s afternoon – came on 66 minutes, although Hassocks felt it should not have stood with O’Leary appearing to be held in the build up. The referee disagreed and allowed Sammy Clemments’ drilled effort into the bottom corner to stand.
The hosts wrapped things up on 75 when Andrade got in down the left and his low shot found its way in despite Turner doing well to get a hand to it.
Hassocks: Phil Wickwar; Louis Pittock, Dan Turner, Ben O’Leary, Andy Whittingham; Harvey Enticknap, Bradley Bant, George Brown, Jack Troak; James Littlejohn, Charlie Pitcher.
Subs: Joe Bull (Wickwar), Jack Gardner (Pittock), Alfie Loversidge (Enticknap), George Galbraith-Gibbons, Chris Neatherway (unused).
