Robins make light of injuries to have a happy evening at the Haven
Crawley Down Gatwick must be sick of the sight of Hassocks. For the second time in 21 days, Brad Sweetman’s side defied the nine Premier Division placings and 20 points separating the two clubs to run out victorious over the Anvils.
Three weeks earlier and two extra time goals from Jack Troak were enough to send the Robins into the quarter finals of the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup via a 2-1 win over Down at the Beacon.
This 3-1 success at the Haven was even more impressive. Hassocks were away from home, the margin of victory was bigger, the game was won in 80 minutes and the Robins had several walking wounded after a bruising 4-1 weekend defeat at home to Bexhill United.
Three players who had started against the Pirates were ruled out completely. Alex Harris, Charlie Tuck and captain Troak were replaced by Harvey Parker, Arthur Rawlingson and Bradley Bant.
“Just when you start to get a settled team out, you pick up a load more injuries,” said Hassocks technical director Dave John before kick, although Down too had absentees issues of their own.
Chief amongst those was the fact that former Robins favourite and Anvils top scorer Phil Johnson was watching from the stands, a ligament injury having ruled him out since November.
It was two more of Down’s ex-Hassocks contingent who combined to give the hosts the lead with the only meaningful attack either side managed in the opening 30 minutes.
A quarter of an hour had elapsed when Harvey Enticknap did well to get to the byline and deliver a low cross into the box towards Charlie Pitcher.
Bradley Tighe appeared to make a decent tackle on Pitcher, only for the ball to ricochet back to last season’s Hassocks top scorer to clinically finish into the bottom corner with a snapshot on the turn.
Hassocks registered their first opportunity with 31 minutes played. Rawlingson clipped up the line for the tireless Alfie Loversidge to chase.
His clever switch of play out to the left found Joe Bull who despite having a tight angle to work with, drew a good stop from Alex Bellingham in the Down goal.
Bellingham was called into action again three minutes later, Rawlingson advancing from right back to collect a Josh Short pass and deliver a cross.
What came next was something of a collector’s item, the diminutive Bradley Bant appearing to leap 50 times his own body length like a cricket to power a firm header which required a decent save to keep it out.
The slow start to proceedings became a distant memory in the final 10 minutes of the half as the game began to ebb and flow.
Home centre back Lewis Scally was lucky to stay on the pitch after a reckless, high, two-footed lunge through Bull was somehow only deemed a yellow card by referee Joshua Langley-Fineing.
It was a decision that left even home fans a little surprised and it caused a bit of a furore on the pitch, the normally placid Westlake brothers momentarily turning into the Kray Twins in the resulting melee.
Hassocks regained their composure quickly to equalise four minutes before the interval. Turner used his hand to produce a textbook volleyball spike back to James Westlake, something which incredibly went unnoticed by Down bar one half-hearted appeal for handball. Westlake made the most of the opportunity, striking low and hard past Bellingham to level the game.
The second half was nine minutes old when Marc Pelling joined his defensive partner Scally in the referee’s book for cynically pulling Short’s shirt after the Hassocks forward skipped around him.
That left both of Down’s centre backs trying to negotiate the final half hour without committing another foul, whilst facing the pace and skill of Short and Loversidge leading the line for Hassocks.
The Robins would go onto make the most of the situation, but they first needed Bant to produce a superb block on the line from another Pitcher snapshot to ensure they did not fall 2-1 behind with 68 minutes played.
Bant almost went from goal saver to goal scorer on 75. A failed Pelling clearance hit Bant in the chest and although he showed mighty quick reactions to get a volley away as the ball fell, it was just wide.
Hassocks were on top now and they took the lead with 78 minutes played. Loversidge’s deft flick put Short in against Scally and the Down defender did not dare risk getting a tackle wrong for fear of a red card. That allowed Short to skip away before drilling past Bellingham and into the bottom corner.
Two minutes later and Loversidge and Short again linked up in identical fashion. This time, Down managed to scramble clear but their relief was short lived as the Robins wrapped things up from the resulting corner.
Lewis Westlake delivered to the penalty spot where Rawlingson had been left with enough time and space to bring the ball down on his chest and thump home a crisp volley with aplomb for his first senior goal in Hassocks colours.
Hassocks: Harvey Parker; Arthur Rawlingson, Dan Turner, Bradley Tighe, Jack Baden; Bradley Bant, James Westlake, Lewis Westlake, Joe Bull; Josh Short, Alfie Loversidge.
Subs: Sam Smith (Bant 89), Charlie Broad (Loversidge 92), Jack Smith, Jude Wallis, Lewis Beebee (unused).
