Robins in valiant Vase showing that nearly causes blushes for Becks
One week after giving Southern Combination League Premier Division leaders Littlehampton Town a fright, the FA Vase presented Hassocks with an even sterner assignment against Combined Counties Premier Division leaders Beckenham Town.
So, if that 4-2 defeat at the Flora Sportsfield seven days ago was seen as a creditable result, what then of this narrow 2-1 reversal against table toppers from a league undoubtedly stronger than Hassocks’ own?
Based on their season so far, this was a good result for Hassocks. It was certainly one of their better performances and by the end, Beckenham were hanging on for their place in the first round proper of the competition.
That in itself would have come as a surprise to most at the Beacon. Becks arrived with seven wins and one draw from eight league matches so far as they look to mark their 125th anniversary next year with promotion to step four.
Even more daunting for Hassocks than the Combined Counties table was that their visitors booked their trip to Mid Sussex via a 5-0 victory away at Southern Counties East outfit K Sports in the first qualifying round – another league considered of a higher standard to the Southern Combination.
Hassocks could therefore take heart from their efforts in a single goal defeat and having Becks seriously worried at various points.
This of course is not anything new. Hassocks have for weeks now been picking up praise for their performances against better sides.
What has got to happen soon is that these performances start translating into results – otherwise a long, hard winter could be in store.
To help try and instigate a climb away from the bottom three, head coach Brad Sweetman has been busy on the transfer front and one returning face and one new face were both on show against Beckenham.
Last season’s club captain Bradley Bant has been lured back to the Robins after a short stay with AFC Varndeanians.
Another player with V’s connections made his Hassocks debut, goalkeeper Harvey Parker becoming the fifth different player to don the gloves for the Robins so far this season.
It was Parker’s opposite number Mason Whitnell who was first called into action, setting the tone for an afternoon in which he pulled off several outrageous saves.
The first of those arrived on 15 minutes. A swift break down the left involving Josh Short, Andy Whittingham and Joe Bull led to Bull crossing into the box.
Alfie Loversidge had timed his run to perfection and his slamming volley from eight yards out looked perfect until Whitnell somehow reacted, stretching out a left hand and doing just enough to turn it over the bar.
Becks were suddenly aware that this might not be the cakewalk that it looked on paper. They duly responded by taking the lead on 30 minutes through stand in skipper Junior Kaffo.
Hassocks were caught out by a long ball over the top, leaving Kaffo in a footrace with Luke Marshall.
To be fair to Marshall, he did well to keep up with Kaffo initially, forcing the Becks midfielder wider than he would have liked.
Kaffo though eventually proved to have enough pace to accelerate into space before beating Parker with a difficult finish, lifting the ball over the new man between the Hassocks posts from a very tight angle.
Beckenham doubled their advantage on the hour mark. Substitute Dennis Doci played the ball into the feet of Tunde Aderonma, who turned sharply to hit a clinical snapshot past Parker.
Hassocks were not perturbed and whereas several weeks ago they might have folded like napkins, they instead hit back almost immediately.
Loversidge swung over the sort of pinpoint corner which is fast becoming his trademark and Bull ghosted in unmarked to power a downwards header in for his first goal of the season.
It was the least that Bull deserved after a hardworking set of performances. Hassocks will be hoping it will spark a run of scoring form from the man charged with leading the line by Sweetman following joint top scorer George Mitchell-Phillips moving to Saltdean United.
Hassocks now had 23 minutes to try and find an equaliser. Becks decided that they were going to try and see the game out, inviting the Robins to come forward in a way that they have scarcely done so far in the current campaign.
The best chance of a Hassocks leveller came from a marauding run forward from captain Whittingham. He beat a couple of Beckenham players on a charge from left back and with the home crowd urging him to shoot, let fly an effort from the edge of the area.
Unfortunately, Whitnell produced an acrobatic stop every bit as spectacular as his first half save from Loversidge to again turn the effort over the bar.
Hassocks: Harvey Parker; Charlie Tuck, Luke Marshall, Arthur Rawlingson, Andy Whittingham; Jack Gardner, Connor Bradley, Josh Short, Bradley Bant; Alfie Loversidge, Joe Bull.
Subs: Jack Baden, Jude Wallis (used), Kobe Dersley, Louis Pittock, Alex Harris (unused).
