Young Robins season ends with a beating by the Barrowmen
It did not seem likely that Hassocks Under 18s would end their 2021-22 Southern Combination Under 18 Central Division season with victory given the opponents they faced.
Steyning Town are the only side who might stop Montpelier Villa lifting the title and the Barrowmen’s 4-1 victory at the Beacon took them to within a point of the long-term, unbeaten league leaders.
Villa do have two games in hand as the campaign heads to an early conclusion thanks to the mild winter weather and teams dropping out of the division, leaving it with only eight participants.
Go back to October and the Robins themselves had hopes of being involved in the title race. They topped the table with five wins and a draw from their opening six games.
Everything that could have gone wrong since then has gone wrong. Hassocks have not won since defeating local rivals Burgess Hill Town 4-0 at the start of November, a run of results which means they finish second bottom.
The Robins will be hoping that a young side – many of whom are in their first season of Under 18s football – will learn from the experience and improve going into next season.
Amongst those to have impressed are Jayden Dunkley, Jamie Douglass and Archie Hill, who have all played Under 23 football this season.
Archie Russell, Louis Thwaites and Sam Geard meanwhile have been involved in the first team with Thwaites scoring his first senior goal in November’s 5-0 Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup win over Montpelier Villa.
There may still be more football to play for the Young Robins despite their regular season finishing. There has been some talk about reviving the Supplementary Shield competition that was introduced following lockdown in April last year to give teams something to play for with three months of the season still to go.
That would provide Hassocks with further opportunities to blend players for 2022-23 and perhaps make something of the current campaign if they can rediscover their early season form.
The Robins made one change from their side who had exited the League Cup on penalties at the second round stage after a 0-0 draw away at Rustington. Max Beston came in for Alfie Beck who dropped down to the bench.
Hassocks’ goal came from Beau Howard, scoring his fourth of the campaign. Toby Reeder notched in the first half for Steyning before the Barrowmen ran riot in the second half.
Destiny Ojo was on target 60 seconds after the restart with two goals from substitute Bryan Tshingoma following in the 50th and 80th minutes.
Hassocks: Jack Thomas, Ismaila Housainou Njai, Archie Hill, Jamie Douglass, Max Beston, Sam Geard, Harry Carter, Beau Howard, Oliver Parker-Williams, Charlie Smith, Archie Russell.
Subs: Joe Holland, Dan Llewellyn, Alfie Beck, Muhammad Wilson, Joe Woodhouse.
