Nine is fine as Hassocks return to winning ways at East Court
Having played only two Mid Sussex Fred Pretty Veterans Plate matches before Christmas, it is going to be a busy second half of the season for Hassocks as they go on the hunt for their first vets silverware since 2016.
One potential route to success was closed in the Robins’ final match of 2021 when they were eliminated from the Sussex Veterans Challenge Cup by reining champions Mile Oak in an entertaining 3-2 defeat at Chalky Road.
There proved to be no lingering hangover from that loss when Hassocks returned to the bread and butter of the Plate, the Robins kicking off the new year in style by winning 9-2 against East Court to maintain their 100 percent league record.
Racking up nine goals was no mean feat, especially in light of the fact that Pat Harding is now banned from playing vets football having turned out too many times in the Isthmian League for Burgess Hill Town.
The Robins other famous goal-getter Phil Gault was relegated to the first team for the weekend, scoring in a 2-2 draw at Little Common.
Given his impressive track record of picking up mysterious injuries before long trips, it was something of a surprise that Gaulty did not develop a knock which ruled him out of the hour and a half drive to Bexhill on Saturday, only to make a miraculous recovery for the short hop to East Grinstead on Sunday.
In the absence of Gaulty and Pat, Steve Spies led the line. This proved to be a wise decision as not only did Spiesy score twice, but he was also at the opposite end of the pitch from where he often causes chaos and confusion when deployed as a defender.
Pat missing out was not the only change from that County Cup defeat at Mile Oak. Elliott Butler has gone back to trying to set a Guinness World Record for quickest 10km time around Cuckfield and Haywards Heath and Mitch Broadstock was unavailable.
Coming into the side were Paul Armstrong, Lee De La Rue Browne and Anthony Hibbert. The presence of Hibby was certainly a nice surprise; nobody expected him to turn out much once the temperature dropped below 15 degrees, so to see him on a cold January morning was a real bonus.
Hibbert went home smiling too having notched a brace. His double was not enough to prevent Joel Harding being named as Chris Francis’ Middy Starman however, Joel again weighing in with another goal to move onto three for the season.
With Pat unable to turn out anymore, the race is on for Joel to outscore his brother for the first time in his life. Watch this space over the next five months.
Joining Spiesy and Hibbert in the double club was Paul Armstrong, silencing the doubters by answering that age-old question that he can do it away at East Court as well as for Brighton at the Priestfield Stadium in the 1998-99 season.
That is seven of the goals accounted for. It will come as a shock to nobody to hear that Dave Juniper also made it onto the scoresheet, taking his tally onto five from five. Jonathan Bundy completed the scoring from the bench. For East Court, Chris Shields scored twice.
Hassocks: Rob Sayers, Adam Waller, Nick Newman, Ant Humphries, Che Williams, Paul Armstrong, Anthony Hibbert, Lee De La Rue Browne, Joel Harding, Steve Spies, Dave Juniper.
Subs: Jonathan Bundy (used).
