Defender Dan pips Lewis Westlake by 1.3 percent after an outstanding April
The final Hassocks Player of the Month Award of the 2021-22 season went to Dan Turner, who held off the challenge of Lewis Westlake by the slimmest of margins to win his second vote of the campaign.
Just 1.3 percent separated the top two in the April poll, although few could argue that Turner was a worthy winner having helped the Robins to five points out of a possible 12 with a string of faultless defensive displays.
Turner was man-of-the-match as Hassocks kept Crawley Down Gatwick at bay in a 0-0 draw in front of a bumper Bank Holiday crowd on Easter Monday.
Earning a clean sheet against the Anvils was no easy feat; they arrived at the Beacon with a strike force consisting of Oli Leslie and former Robins favourite Phil Johnson who had plundered over 40 goals between them.
48 hours earlier and Turner had excelled in a 1-1 draw at Steyning Town. It was his piece of quick thinking in launching a quick throw 60 yards down the pitch that led to the Hassocks goal, scored by captain Jack Troak capitalising on some hesitancy from Barrowmen goalkeeper Stefanos Akras.
Hassocks too did well to concede only twice in the semi finals of the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup against a Littlehampton Town outfit with over 200 goals to their name in all competitions. Turner played a big part in frustrating the Marigolds for the most part.
Westlake meanwhile enjoyed a fine month to round off a campaign in which he has made a real difference since re-joining the Robins from Steyning Town in October.
He made his 100th appearance in a Hassocks shirt against Crawley Down and in his 101st outing, netted the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win at Alfold with a trademark free kick.
That moved Westlake onto six goals, making 2021-22 his most prolific campaign as a Hassocks player. Westlake’s prowess from set pieces made the Robins much more threatening in the second half of the campaign and it was his corner that led Sam Smith to bundle home in the 6-2 Premier Division defeat to champions Littlehampton.
Third place went to Troak, who scored twice in April to secure the top scorer accolade with 10. Troak buried a penalty in the league fixture with Littlehampton and followed that up a week later with the opener at Steyning, closing down Akras and winning the ball off the home goalkeeper before rolling into an empty net.
Troak was also involved in one of the key moments of the RUR Semi Final defeat against the Marigolds. The Hassocks skipper was set to gallop away down the left, only to be illegally halted by Scott Kirkwood.
Kirkwood received a straight red card for his troubles. Playing against 10 men for an hour certainly helped Hassocks as they made their illustrious opponents work hard to progress to their final date with Saltdean United.
