FAMILIAR FACES HAUNT HASSOCKS IN SEASON OPENER
Hostilities resumed between Hassocks and St Francis Rangers for the first time in two season as the two Mid Sussex rivals locked horns in the opening game of the Southern Combination League Under 23 North Division season.
And it was Rangers who took local bragging rights with a 2-1 success delivered thanks to a late goal from one of the many ex-Robins in their squad.
Jake Lindsey was a popular figure at the Beacon having scored 11 times in 52 first team appearances after breaking into the senior set up whilst sill a member of Hassocks’ 2017-18 treble winning Under 18 team.
He climbed off the bench at Colwell Road at half time, going on to strike what proved to be the winner in the 80th minute of an entertaining clash.
As well as Lindsey, Rangers had in their squad Steve Bright, Jordan Littlecott, Max Willcox, Josh Paton and Jack Tobias, all of whom had played Under 23s football at the Beacon in the past.
Hassocks meanwhile gave a debut to Jamie Wilkes who made the opposite journey in the summer, switching Rangers for Robins.
Wilkes was one of five new faces in the Hassocks squad. Under 18s goalkeeper Jayden Dunkley made his first appearance for the Under 23s with fellow youth teamer Lewis Beebee joining him from the substitutes bench in the second half.
Former Horsham and Billingshurst midfielder Jake Chadwick sat alongside Beebee on the bench with the final new face being Ben Hicks.
There were two returnees in the Hassocks team; midfielder George Harwood making his first appearance for the Robins since the 2015-16 season along with Kenny Pearce who has been absent for the same amount of time.
Connor Bradley, Harvey Ransome, Max Donaldson, Kieran Dimelow, Brad Sweetman and last season’s top scorer George Galbraith-Gibbons rounded off the starting XI with Solly Ross the third and final Hassocks substitute.
It was a pleasant evening at the Hospital and both sides did their best to put on a show in what was the first ever game played in the new North Division of the Under 23 league.
Such has been the popularity of development football that this third section has been added for 2020-21 to complement the existing East and West Divisions.
It gives Hassocks plenty of fresh opponents, Rangers being one having not fielded an Under 23s side in 2019-20.
Alfold and Jarvis Brook are running teams at this level for the first time; Loxwood have joined from the Combined Counties League and Horley Town and Crowborough Athletic have both moved into the Southern Combination.
The North Division is rounded off by Broadbridge Heath, Horsham YMCA and Oakwood, all of whom Hassocks played in the West Division last time out.
Back to matters at hand and aside from Lindsey’s late decider, there was one goal apiece struck by either side.
For Rangers, it came via Josh Paine, one of the few players in the hosts’ starting line up not to have played for Hassocks at some point.
The Robins’ account for the season was opened by Kieran Dimelow, the midfielder having scored twice in seven appearances last season.
Hassocks will be hoping to have his services available on a more regular basis this time out if they are to make an impression on a league which should be fiercely competitive.
Hassocks: Jayden Dunkley, Max Donaldson, Brad Sweetman, Ben Hicks, Harvey Ransome, Jamie Wilkes, Connor Bradley, Kieran Dimelow, George Harwood, Kenny Pearce, George Galbraith-Gibbons.
Subs: Lewis Beebee, Jake Chadwick, Solly Ross (used).
