Victorious Villa inflict first league defeat on Young Robins
It may only be mid-October, but the Southern Combination Under 18 Central Division season is already nearly at its halfway point for Hassocks.
In match number six of 18, the Robins put their unbeaten record on the line against a Montpelier Villa side who are also yet to lose a game.
And based on what we saw at the Beacon, then it could well be Villa who end up champions come the end of the campaign as they made it three wins and one draw from their four matches with a 4-2 success.
The result allowed Steyning Town to leapfrog Hassocks into top spot in the table, but you would have to suspect that the Barrowmen will be knocked off first place themselves once Villa have caught up their games in hand.
It does at least look like a more open race than normal. Even if Villa are undefeated and looking the best bet of the opponents that Hassocks have faced so far, no club has a 100 percent record.
Normally at this stage of the campaign, one or two sides have left the rest of the division behind by streaking clear.
This season, just three points separates the top five clubs, all of whom are level on games played with the exception of Villa and Worthing United, who the Robins are also yet to face.
Hassocks came into the tie having suffered their first defeat in all competitions a week previously when losing 5-0 at Eastbourne Borough in the Dennis Probee Sussex Under 18 Challenge Cup.
On that occasion, the Robins’ Conference South opponents were just too strong. There was no disgrace in losing to such a team and even in defeat, Hassocks seemed to enjoy the experience of playing at Priory Lane.
The Robins made two changes from the Borough game. Dan Llwellyn and top scorer Oliver Parker-Williams came back into the starting XI, taking the places of Josh Trinick who dropped to the bench and Muhammad Wilson who was absent.
Both of the Hassocks goals came from Beau Howard, an excellent brace from the forward to take him onto three for the season.
On another day, that might have been enough to give Hassocks victory. Villa though had the outstanding Jack Smart in their ranks and he grabbed a hat-trick which ensured that the three points went back to Culver Road with the visitors.
Also on target for Villa was Olly Harrison in what ended up being quite a routine victory in the end. The good news for the Robins on the day came from Jack Thomas making his Under 18s debut.
Hassocks will fancy their chances of bouncing back next weekend, when they make the short journey to face bottom of the table Upper Beeding.
Hassocks: Jayden Dunkley, Dan Llwellyn, Harry Bundy, Jamie Douglass, Max Beston, Dan Lade, Sam Geard, Beau Howard, Ismaila Housainou Njai, Oliver Parker-Williams, Archie Russell.
Subs: Archie Hill, Jack Thomas, Josh Trinick, Alfie Beck, Joe Holland (used).
