Disaster at the Lashmar as EP pull Hassocks further into the mire
As the Southern Combination League Premier Division season hurtles towards its halfway point, the task Hassocks face in extending their top flight stay to a 28th consecutive season was laid bare at the Lashmar.
Before 3pm on Saturday, East Preston were yet to win a league game all season. They had scored only 10 times.
Fast forward two hours and the hosts were celebrating a 4-1 victory which brought them to within two points of Hassocks and left the Robins looking shell shocked.
Hassocks have now suffered back-to-back defeats against two of the three clubs who were below them in the relegation zone – were, because Loxwood have now leapfrogged the Robins to pull three points clear in the battle for survival. A long winter looks ahead.
Excuses could at least be found for that previous loss at Plaistow Road a fortnight ago. Hassocks were the better side and if they had have taken a couple of their countless opportunities, then the Premier Division standings would not have such a depressing look about them currently.
Loxwood in contrast were clinical, scoring with their one shot on target. On another day, the Robins win and win comfortably.
There were no such straws to be clutched at East Preston. Whilst Hassocks did create plenty again, you cannot concede four times in a game of football and expect to get a result.
And that is before you consider the fact that EP were registering over a quarter of their season’s goals total in the space of an hour.
Hassocks had a more experienced look to their starting XI than arguably in any other game so far this season.
Dan Turner returned after two months out injured, Josh Hawkes made his first start since moving back to the Beacon and there was also a place in the XI for Lewis Westlake, who has re-joined following a brief spell at Steyning Town after his departure from Loxwood.
Both sides had chances to take the lead inside of the first couple of minutes and given what you have read so far, it will probably come as no surprise to hear that Hassocks missed theirs whilst East Preston did not.
Joe Bull was the guilty party for the Robins, failing to get on the end of a good cross into the box. EP broke at lightning quick pace from there and Matthew Storm made no mistake at the other end to give the hosts the perfect start.
Hassocks had strong claims that EP’s second goal on 18 minutes should have been disallowed. Charlie Pugh appeared to be clearly impeded as he attempted to gather.
Referee Mark Gidman however saw nothing wrong with it and the looping effort from Harry Russell was allowed to stand.
EP should have made it 3-0 on 28 minutes when Russell went through one-on-one but Pugh stayed big and made a fantastic stop.
Hassocks’ frustrations at this point manifested themselves as Hawkes was booked for a very Hawkes-esque foul.
Things got even worse from the resulting free kick as Matt Woodward was left completely free to power a header past Pugh, giving EP a three goal lead with just 30 minutes on the clock.
At that run rate, EP would have been on for a 9-0 victory. Hassocks did at least rally a little and began to carve out some chances of their own.
A trademark long pass out of defence from Turner presented Lewis Westlake with a sight of goal but he was wasteful. Bull should have then done better on the turn just inside the box with his effort trickling harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.
Hassocks did manage to pull one back before half time, Josh Short taking a penalty best described as unconvincing which did at least do the job of nestling in the EP net.
Hawkes hit a volley from 25 yards a little too high as Hassocks finished the strongest and despite that horror opening half hour, the Robins were still in the game going into the break at a venue where they have an extraordinary record of being involved in classic “games of two halves”.
Take Hassocks’ visit to the Lashmar last season, for example. The Robins turned around 4-0 ahead, only to find themselves hanging onto a 4-3 victory by full time after EP came close to completing a famous comeback.
If Hassocks were to go better than EP and rescue themselves from a seemingly similar hopeless position, then the next goal would be crucial.
The Westlake brothers nearly combined to provide it for Hassocks five minutes after the restart, Lewis crossing to James whose header needed to trouble the EP goal far more than it did.
EP punished that miss when adding their fourth on the hour mark. Pugh made a fine save to which none of his defenders reacted, allowing Will Breedon to smash home the loose ball. And that was that.
Hassocks: Charlie Pugh; Arthur Rawlingson, Dan Turner, Bradley Tighe, Jack Gardner; James Westlake, Lewis Westlake, Josh Hawkes, Josh Short; Alfie Loversidge, Joe Bull.
Subs: Jack Baden, Louis Thwaites (used), Jude Wallis, Jay Hudson, Jack Troak (unused).
