Flying United only denied a rout of the Robins by outstanding Pugh
With Eastbourne United in such flying form since Anthony Storey was appointed manager at the Oval last month, their visit to the Beacon was always likely to be a difficult assignment for Hassocks.
And so it proved as United made it four wins from five matches under their new manager with a 3-0 success that was as comfortable as the scoreline suggests.
United might even feel that the margin of victory should have been greater. They came up against an inspired Charlie Pugh however, the Hassocks goalkeeper making a string of first class saves to keep the score at three.
The effort of Pugh’s outfield teammates could not be faulted. They just lacked the quality that they had shown when hammering AFC Varndeanians 4-1 at the weekend, perhaps because those exertions caught up with them.
Hassocks’ recent run of strong performances has been built on a settled starting XI. They made one change from Saturday, James Westlake coming in for his first start since re-joining the Robins from Loxwood in place of Charlie Tuck.
United took the lead with 14 minutes played with a goal that left a fair few questions about Hassocks’ defending.
A long kick was not dealt with and that allowed Bailo Camara to cross for United top scorer Festos Kamara to send a looping header over the top of Pugh.
Hassocks enjoyed their best period in the immediate aftermath of the opening goal. Rampaging Joe Bull was hauled down in the box but remarkably, referee Daniel Cooper waved away the penalty appeals much to the home crowd’s bemusement.
Mr Cooper soon had the chance to make amends for that decision and he duly did so, pointing to the spot with 20 minutes played.
Alfie Loversidge had completed his hat-trick against Varndeanians with a successful penalty but taking duties this time fell to Josh Short, who saw his low effort successfully kept out by Phil Hawkins in the United goal.
Hawkins seems to thrive against the Robins. He gave a match winning performance as United squeaked a 1-0 victory the last time these sides met in December. Hassocks were unable to trouble him on too many more occasions here once he had repelled Short’s spot kick.
Instead, it was Pugh who became the far busier goalkeeper on show. On 21 minutes, he denied Max Thompson with an outrageous piece of shot stopping and then watched an Alfie Peacock effort from distance drift wide.
A rare foray forward from Hassocks saw Westlake got a shot away but it was easy for Hawkins to deal with. Dee Okajie then crossed for Kamara whose header this time was over as United finished the half strongly.
The final five minutes resulted in a flurry of activity in the Hassocks box. Pugh made his next outstanding intervention with a close range save from Camara after he was released by Kamara, who then tested Pugh himself before Thompson was denied by the Robins number one.
Hassocks needed half time to regroup and they duly did that, almost catching United cold within 60 seconds of the restart.
A rare bit of good football down the right involving Jack Gardner and Westlake ended with Short seeing his goal bound effort blocked.
Gardner then proved his worth at the other end, doing brilliantly to hack an Alfie Peacock effort off the line after the United forward had rounded Pugh.
United got their second on 54 minutes and it was that man Kamara again. Another cross proved to be the Robins’ undoing, this time from Emerson Guimaraes and whilst the defending was sloppy, the finish was of the highest class as Kamara took a touch and rifled home.
Pugh denied Kamara a hat-trick with a full stretch tip around the post on the hour mark. Five minutes later and United might have gone down to 10, Harvey Mapstone hauling down Loversidge last man but much to the relief of the United defender, Mr Cooper reached for a yellow rather than a red.
Would a sending off have helped Hassocks find a way back in the last 20 minutes? Probably not. A double change of Phil Gault and Lucas Tyrrell – a new signing from Peacehaven & Telscombe — for Bull and Connor Bradley could not shake a response from the Robins and Pugh had to made further saves from Alfie Headland and Peacock twice.
Andy Whittingham’s tame effort when well placed on 77 minutes summed Hassocks’ evening up, after which it looked like both sides were contented to settle for a final score of 2-0 to the visitors.
United though had one final goal in them. It arrived with 60 seconds of normal time remaining, a deflected shot from substitute Chinoso Nwajagu falling kindly for Thompson who brought the ball down and fired clinically past Pugh.
Hassocks: Charlie Pugh; Jack Gardner, Luke Marshall, Bradley Tighe, Andy Whittingham; James Westlake, Connor Bradley, Josh Short, Bradley Bant; Alfie Loversidge, Joe Bull.
Subs: Phil Gault (Bull 72), Lucas Tyrrell (Bradley 72), Arthur Rawlingson, Jude Wallis, Harvey Parker (unused).
