Geard spot on as new-look Robins start with win at Shoreham
A Sam Geard penalty proved enough to give Hassocks Under 18s all three points to start their 2021-22 season with following a 1-0 win away at Shoreham.
Whilst it has been all change on the youth team front at the Beacon over the summer in terms of management and division, this was a case of the Robins continuing exactly where they had left off from the previous two curtailed campaigns.
In 2020-21, Hassocks had been top of the Southern Combination League North Division and unbeaten when the December lockdown arrived.
They were looking good for a first title since the 2017-18 season. It had been a similar story in 2019-20, the Robins sitting in third spot one point behind leaders St Francis Rangers.
Two excellent Under 18s sides whose players now make up a large part of the first team squad were denied the chance to bring the league championship to the Beacon as five of their predecessors had.
Brad Sweetman and Jordan Wilson have been rewarded for their work over those two seasons by stepping up to form the first team management team for 2021-22 with their places at youth level taken by Neil Parker and Glen Geard, something of a legend on the Sussex non-league circuit.
For the first time, the Southern Combination League is running four Under 18s divisions which means Hassocks have been moved to the newly created Central Division.
That offers matches against unfamiliar opponents including Worthing United, the Mavericks’ Isthmian League across-town rivals Worthing, AFC Varndeanians and Montpelier Villa.
You can include Shoreham in that list too. Hassocks therefore arrived at Middle Road for their season opener not quite sure what to expect, especially as they themselves feature a lot of new faces at the lower age of the Under 18s spectrum.
From last season, only Geard, Harry Bundy, Archie Russell, Beau Howard and Louis Thwaites featured against the Musselmen.
In a sign of the talent in the squad and the opportunities available for progression at the Beacon, Russell, Thwaites and Geard have already tasted first team football so far this season.
Geard was the man who gave the new management team the perfect start to life in the dugout, striking a cool and calm penalty to settle the game in Hassocks’ favour.
The new faces in the Robins’ side were Harry Carter, Jamie Douglass, Archie Hill, Jack Morris, Jake Palmer and Alfie Beck whilst there were also debuts from the bench for Keegan Croydon-Elkins and Joe Woodhouse.
A pleasing start to the season then for Hassocks, who move onto a local derby against Mid Sussex rivals Haywards Heath Town at the Beacon in a week’s time, a game which will provide further clues as to just how well the new crop of young Robins can do over the next nine months.
Hassocks: Jake Palmer, Jack Morris, Harry Bundy, Harry Carter, Jamie Douglass, Louis Thwaites, Archie Hill, Sam Geard, Beau Howard, Oliver Parker-Williams, Archie Russell.
Subs: Keegan Croydon-Elkins, Joseph Woodhouse (used).
