Penalty saving king Parker the hero for spot-on Robins in Arundel League Cup thriller
Harvey Parker was the penalty shootout hero as Hassocks Under 23s booked their place in the quarter finals of the Southern Combination League Cup from 12 yards following a thrilling 4-4 draw against Arundel.
90 minutes of drama was matched in the lottery of spot kicks. The Robins scored all four of theirs whilst Parker kept out two Mullets penalties to set up a trip to North Division champions Broadbridge Heath in the quarter finals of the competition.
That looks to be an incredibly tough draw for Hassocks. Heath have not lost a game in the league all season and will win the title by at least five clear points from the Robins.
The two meetings between the clubs so far saw Heath to a 2-0 win at High Wood Hill Sports Ground in October.
Hassocks then showed remarkable fight to recover from falling 2-0 behind against the Bears at the Beacon five weeks ago, two goals from Lewis Beebee earning a share of the spoils from a 2-2 draw.
Similar spirit and battle was needed to take this game to penalties, the Robins trailing 4-3 in the 89th minute of a game either side could have justifiably claimed to have done enough to won.
Arundel may sit a lowly eighth out of 10 teams in the West Division, but Hassocks knew this was going to be a tough examination.
The Robins named a strong starting XI showing five changes from the side who had lost to St Francis Rangers in the final league game of the season a fortnight earlier.
Particularly boosted was the hosts’ firepower. Beebee, Joe Bull and Marshall Smith all returned and Charlie Broad was fresh from scoring his first senior goal in the first team’s 1-0 win away against AFC Uckfield Town at the weekend. That gave Hassocks a set of attacking players in good form and full of goals.
Sean McSwiney stepped up from the bench and Sam Smith made his first start as he continues his comeback from a December injury having made a couple of cameo appearances from the bench for the first team in recent weeks.
Josh Short, Kobe Derseley, Jamie Douglass and Archie Russell all missed out with the last of those named amongst the substitutes.
It took Hassocks only eight minutes to open the scoring through Beebee, notching his fourth of the season from eight appearances.
Arundel equalised on the half hour mark, Ollie Hawkins getting the first of what would turn out to be a memorable treble as he was easily the best Mullets player on the pitch.
Jude Wallis ensured that Hassocks went into the break ahead when restoring the Robins’ lead eight minutes after Hawkins struck.
There was even more drama to come after the interval. Hawkins’ second arrived nine minutes into the second half to make it 2-2 and on 64 minutes he completed his hat-trick, putting Arundel into the lead for the first time.
The Mullets’ advantage was short lived, Wallis equalising within 120 seconds. Bradley Stroud made it 4-3 to Arundel on 77 and that looked like it would take the visitors through right up until injury time.
Marshall Smith hit a late, late 90th minute leveller to ensure it finished 4-4 and the momentum from that intervention stayed with Hassocks into the shoot out.
Wallis, Beebee, Harvey Ransome and expert penalty taking substitute Arthur Rawlingson all converted. Combined with two superb Parker saves, Hassocks went through 4-2 in the shoot out after a night of high entertainment.
Hassocks: Harvey Parker, Jack Gardner, Jack Smith, Sam Smith, Harvey Ransome, Sean McSwiney, Jude Wallis, Marshall Smith, Charlie Broad, Joe Bull, Lewis Beebee.
Subs: Archie Russell, Wes Tighe, Arthur Rawlingson, Archie Hill (used).
