HASSOCKS SINK STEYNING WITH ANOTHER SIX GOAL SHOWING
For the second game running, Hassocks Under 18s ran out 6-1 winners as their excellent start to the new Southern Combination League North Division season showed no signs of slowing.
Last week, the victory came on the road at Roffey. This week, it was Steyning Town who were turned over in the Young Robins’ first home game of the campaign.
What made this result all the more impressive was that it was delivered without two of Hassocks’ star players. Both Jack Gardner and Alfie Loversidge were absent, having played 90 minutes for the first team in the previous day’s 3-0 FA Vase first qualifying round exit at the hands of fellow Southern Combination League Premier Division outfit Peacehaven & Telscombe.
Gardner gave an impressive account of himself at right back after a tactical reshuffle just two minutes in saw him shift over from the centre of defence. Loversidge meanwhile took the Hassocks headlines, voted an extremely popular winner of the Supporters’ Man-of-the-Match on his full home debut for a performance which was packed with promise.
He even came within a hair’s breadth of marking the occasion with a goal, the Peacehaven post denying his excellent header from nestling in the back of the net with Tye number one Harry Mills well beaten.
Resting Loversidge and Gardner represented two of the three changes that Brad Sweetman made from the impressive victory at Roffey. Freddie Mears was the other player to drop out of the starting line up although he did not miss out altogether, instead settling for a place among the substitutes.
Coming into the side were two regulars from last season who missed the opening day win as Alex Crawford and Charlie Jones both returned. Archie Russell was handed his first start after a goal scoring debut from the bench at Bartholomew Way.
It took Hassocks until the 22nd minute to open the scoring when Louis Thwaites notched his first for the club. Three minutes later and Russell doubled the advantage, making it two goals in two games to continue where he left off against Roffey.
Steyning made it 2-1 through Destiny Ojo on the hour mark which seemed to shake Hassocks into life. Fresh legs helped in that regard and it was substitute Beau Howard who restored Hassocks’ two goal advantage five minutes after the Barrowmen had halved the deficit.
Last week’s hat-trick hero Lewis Beebee got in on the act by making it four on 79, the first of three goals in a mad final 11 minutes in which the Robins added a lot of gloss to the storyline.
Beebee’s goal capped off a fine weekend as he had also been involved with the first team in the Peacehaven game, making his senior debut as a second half substitute and showing some nice touches in the half hour or so he was on the pitch.
Hassocks’ fifth came through Josh Sprigg on 83 – scoring for the second match running like Russell and Beebee – and there was still time for the Robins to find a sixth as Howard completed a brace from the bench with two minutes left on the clock.
That rounded off an excellent morning for Hassocks, especially in light of the fact that the Robins have struggled against Steyning in recent seasons.
The result sent Hassocks to the top of the early North Division table and should leave Sweetman and his players in confident mood going into next Sunday’s first Mid Sussex Derby of the season at home to Burgess Hill Town.
Hassocks: Jayden Dunkley, Harry Bundy, Alex Crawford, Louis Thwaites, Kobe Dersley, Daniel Llewellyn, Charlie Jones, Archie Russell, Josh Sprigg, Archie Messent, Lewis Beebee.
Subs: Cody Craig, Oscar De Jannon Griph, Beau Howard, Fraser Mears, Owen Parker (used).
