Familiar foes Brockham beaten as Hassocks make it four from four
You play two league matches in the first four months of the season, and then two come along in the space of a January week.
There is probably a joke to be made there about London Buses and the turning circle of somebody in the Hassocks Veterans squad, but let’s not go there – especially as Spiesy has already questioned how often he gets mocked in these reports.
One week on from an excellent 9-2 win away at East Court, the Robins were again in action, this time against Brockham at the Beacon on a very pleasant Sunday afternoon (explaining why Anthony Hibbert was around again).
It was a much more workmanlike performance from Hassocks than the one they had delivered in East Grinstead, but it got the job done to earn a 4-1 victory which stretches the Robins’ Mid Sussex Fred Pretty Veterans Plate record to three wins from three matches.
They now sit second in the table behind leaders Ardingly but with two games in hand. In a potentially pivotal game, the Robins will take on Ardingly on the all-weather pitch at Oriel High School on Sunday 13th February 2022. Get it in the diary.
Veterans football is famous for the turnover in players with starting lines up often wildly fluctuating from one week to the next.
Hassocks though are benefiting from a remarkable consistency in selection. Having had to make only three changes for last Sunday’s win at East Court, Nick Newman made just two for the visit of Brockham.
Joel Harding decided he would rather go and watch Chelsea v Spurs at Stamford Bridge than extend his hot scoring streak and Adam Waller was probably running up to Jack & Jill windmills or something.
Jonathan Bundy was rewarded for scoring from the bench against East Court with promotion to the starting XI. Phil Gault was rewarded for drawing a blank in the first team’s 1-0 defeat at Eastbourne United 24 hours earlier with 90 minutes of vets football.
Gault did at least manage to score against Brockham. Rob Sayers registered his first of the season and there was a brace for Steve Spies, taking him onto nine for the campaign and above Pat Harding at the top of the Robins’ scoring charts.
If Jay Lovett is reading, Spiesy is awaiting your call.
Hassocks: Rob Sayers, Paul Armstrong, Nick Newman, Ant Humphries, Che Williams, Jonathan Bundy, Anthony Hibbert, Lee De La Rue Browne, Phil Gault, Steve Spies, Dave Juniper.
Subs: Chris Maynard, Mitch Broadstock (used).
