Broad heads Hassocks out of the bottom four for first time this season
For the first time this season, Hassocks are out of the bottom four of the Southern Combination Premier Division.
A 1-0 win over AFC Uckfield Town enabled the Robins to leapfrog their hosts in the table, something that would have been pretty unthinkable in the middle of November.
Back then, Hassocks had only two league wins and nine points on the board. Over the past three months, they have won five, drawn four and suffered only three defeats in all competitions to completely turn their season around.
Every aspect of the Robins’ game has improved. When beating Crawley Down Gatwick 3-1 at the Haven on Tuesday night, they played some excellent football to deservedly win away against hosts who have designs on a top six place.
Victory at the Oaks required quite different characteristics. Hassocks built their three points on hard work and doing the nitty gritty stuff better than Uckfield.
It was an ugly win in a game devoid of much entertainment. “Good luck getting a match report out of that,” as one spectator quirked afterwards.
In fairness to the players on show, there was little either side could do to improve the fare for supporters. Passing football was impossible on a bald surface. Bypassing the ground by taking an aerial route was made challenging by a strong wind.
Nothing summed up the difficulties better than the only goal of the game which arrived 11 minutes before half time.
Dan Turner hauled a trademark long throw miles down the pitch like a trebuchet and despite going into the wind, the ball reached Charlie Broad who looped a header over Uckfield goalkeeper Jason Tibble.
It was Broad’s first goal for Hassocks in his first start since arriving from Loxwood. As a powerful, old-fashioned target man type of player he provides Brad Sweetman with some variety in attack – which on a day like this was very much welcome.
Turner’s ability to throw a ball up to 50 metres is not exactly a secret; and yet it is a weapon Hassocks seem to rarely take advantage of.
Will they be more inclined to do so from now on? Perhaps not. The Robins try to keep it on the ground and to many, the concept of aping Rory Delap and Stoke City is anathema no matter its effectiveness.
Turner was only taking the throw because of Hassocks’ desire to get the ball as far down the pitch as possible whilst playing into the wind in the first half and not trusting the pitch to play passing football on.
Uckfield took the same off-the-ground approach for most of the match and that enabled Turner in particular to have a fine game at centre back to go with his assist for the goal.
He won virtually everything in the air that that Uckfield launched up to tall striker Jamie Wilkes. The rangy former Hassocks man faced a thankless task trying to compete against Turner, especially in the first half when Uckfield had the wind in their favour and every ball over the top was headed back down the pitch with repetitive monotony.
Further action beyond headed clearances and a headed goal was in scant supply in the opening 45 minutes. The only other chance of note saw Josh Short put a swirling effort just wide of Tibble’s post with eight on the clock.
Arthur Rawlingson meanwhile was lucky to escape a yellow card when conceding a free kick in a dangerous area. No prizes for guessing it was that man Turner who cleared the resulting set piece into the box.
Hassocks were able to do more in an attacking sense in the second half with the gale now behind them. Lewis Westlake hit the top of the bar on the hour mark with a right footed free kick curled up and over the wall which Tibble could only watch clatter against the woodwork.
Another set piece from the junior Westlake was next carried by the wind to the far post where it just evaded Turner, who then entered the book of referee Thomas Price for a shoulder barge so fierce that it sent an Uckfield player into the neighbouring forest surrounding the Oaks.
That kicked off a lively final 10 minutes which packed in more action than the previous 80. Tibble was called into action, making a superb tip over at full stretch when Short fancied a crack from distance on 85 minutes.
On 87, over came a Westlake corner, this time met by the head of Turner but put just wide of the post. Rawlingson received a yellow for delaying the restart, something that nobody thanked him for as it meant Mr Price adding further time on to a game most people by now just wanted to be over.
When the full time whistle did eventually blow, it was job done for Hassocks. Having hit the heights of 16th, the Robins will now be fixing their eyes further up the table.
Hassocks: Alex Harris; Arthur Rawlingson, Dan Turner, Bradley Tighe, Jack Baden; Bradley Bant, James Westlake, Lewis Westlake, Jack Troak; Josh Short, Charlie Broad.
Subs: Sam Smith, Jude Wallis (used), Luke Marshall, Phil Wickwar (unused).
