Tough set of August fixtures yielded seven points by the end of the month
When the Southern Combination League Premier Division 2021-22 fixture list was released, Hassocks had every right to be a little worried with the start they had been handed.
Six of their opening eight games of the season were against opponents who were in the top 10 when the previous campaign had been curtailed due to lockdown, giving new head coach Brad Sweetman quite the introduction to management at senior level.
To make matters worse, the Robins suffered from a truncated pre-season schedule. Complications with the new drainage system installed at the Beacon over the summer meant that three warm up matches had been lost, costing Sweetman precious time to work with his players in match situations.
The problems extended to the first scheduled game of the league campaign. Broadbridge Heath had been due to visit on Saturday 31st July, but 15 minutes of biblical-level rainfall an hour before kick off left standing water all over the pitch.
That gave the match officials no choice other than to postpone the fixture, handing Hassocks some sort of English football record for having a competitive game called off for a waterlogged pitch in July.
The cancellation meant the Robins opened their campaign three days later than planned away at Saltdean United, who had been top of the Premier Division at the point the season was cancelled last time out.
Whilst the Tigers team read like a who’s who of Southern Combination League winners and players with experience at higher levels, Hassocks had only one player over the age of 25 in their matchday 16 – Andy Whittingham.
11 of the players that Sweetman took to Hill Park had come through the Robins youth system. It was a chastening evening for the Hassocks youngsters as they were well beaten 6-0.
Reece Hallard scored twice in the first half. Thomas Caplin, Kieron Pamment and a brace from Trevor McCreadie added to the rout in the second and it might even have been more were it not for a string of fine saves from the Robins’ debutant goalkeeper Christian Kiddell.
Saturday was meant to be FA Cup Extra Preliminary Qualifying Round Day but again heavy rain arrived before kick off and again the Beacon could not cope.
The visit of Spelthorne Sports was therefore hastily rearranged for the Tuesday night. For 83 minutes, Hassocks led against their Combined Counties League visitors thanks to Alfie Loversidge’s cool opener with eight on the clock.
It was a goal made by three 18-year-olds. Summer signing from Lewes, George Mitchell-Phillips marked his home debut with a clever diagonal pass dummied by strike partner Lewis Beebee to leave Loversidge in the clear and he dully finished past Henry Poole.
Spelthorne enjoyed more possession and the better chances after that. Hassocks though had their moments, including two strong penalty appeals in either half.
A Spelthorne player produced a basketball double dribble in the box which remarkably was deemed not handball. Beebee was then wiped out when baring down on goal but the verdict of the official was no foul.
Hassocks were dogged in keeping their visitors out right up until the 91st minutes when Ollie Davison rose tallest to head home a Connor Lee free kick and level the tie.
There were six minutes of injury time after a nasty incident late on which saw Bradley Tighe require lengthy treatment after being shoved into the home dugout.
Spelthorne took full advantage of the additional, finding a winner from the penalty spot with 94 played. Kiddell came haring off his line to wipe out Semari McCalmon when the danger seemed minimal. That allowed Lee the chance to score from 12 yards and send Spelthorne through to meet Farnham Town in the next round.
Eastbourne Town provided the opposition as Hassocks returned to league action four days later. Town had won 7-0 on their previous visit to the Beacon but there was to be no repeat of that hammering on this occasion as they were made to work hard for a 2-1 success.
Aaron Hopkinson opened the scoring inside of 60 seconds. Hassocks responded well to that though and restricted Town to adding only one more to the scoreboard, Leon Greig doubling the advantage just before the hour mark.
The outstanding Josh Short made the final 10 minutes interesting with a richly deserved first goal in Hassocks colours late on. Town were hanging on by the end and were clearly relieved to hear the final whistle as the Robins came close to a first point of the season.
Sweetman spent his Saturday evening following the Eastbourne Town game convincing former Hassocks captain Jordan Badger to return to football after a two-year absence through work commitments.
That paid off just 72 hours later when Badger helped the Robins to their first point from a 2-2 draw against AFC Uckfield Town.
Thrown on as an emergency striker, it was Badger who reacted quickest to toe poke home a downwards header in the Uckfield box to level the scores in the 87th minute.
The Oakmen had gone ahead with 31 on the clock through Luke Blewden but their lead was short lived, Loversidge equalising just four minutes later.
Sam Carrington put Uckfield back ahead within a minute of the second half and it took a series of superb saves from Charlie Pugh on his first appearance of the season in the Hassocks goal to pave the way for Badger’s late heroics.
It was a case of one step forward, two steps back as the Robins endured a wretched afternoon in their rearranged fixture against Broadbridge Heath next, scoring two own goals in a 5-1 defeat to the Bears.
Matt Penfold, Jamie Taylor and Charlie Parmiter were the other Heath scorers with Lewis Beebee opening his senior account for Hassocks with an 82nd minute consolation.
A midweek trip to Peacehaven & Telscombe came next, where the Robins gave a good account of themselves against the joint-Premier Division leaders.
Max Hollobone put the Tye ahead in the first half with a goal cancelled out on 54 minutes by Connor Bradley. Jordan Pryor restored Peacehaven’s lead within 60 seconds and Tyler Scrafton appeared to have put the tie out of the Robins’ reach with a third on 74.
Hassocks however were not done. Captain Whittingham chose a timely moment to score only his second Robins goal from over 100 appearances to set up a grandstand finish and although Hassocks threw everything at their hosts, they could not find an equaliser.
They left the Sports Park with renewed confidence and that shone through when Steyning Town were beaten 2-0 at the Beacon on August Bank Holiday Saturday, giving Sweetman his first win as Hassocks boss.
What made the three points all the more impressive was that they were achieved despite the Robins playing for over an hour with 10 men.
Luke Marshall was shown a straight red card for pulling back Tom Howard-Bold after the Barrowmen forward rounded Charlie Pugh and had an open goal to advance towards.
Hassocks made it to the break on level terms, allowing Sweetman to change tact as the Robins sat back in the second half and looked to use the pace of Mitchell-Phillips on the counter.
It was a plan which worked to perfection. Short played a brilliant ball over the top for Mitchell-Phillips to chase and finish for the opening goal on the hour mark.
13 minutes later and Short this time released Loversidge, who was hacked to the ground in the area by a Steyning defender. Mitchell-Phillips converted the resulting penalty.
Remarkably, Hassocks picked up their fifth point of the season less than 48 hours later on Monday morning after again playing for more than an hour with 10 men.
Bradley was the player dismissed on this occasion, a mistimed tackle for which nobody in the home camp could have any complaints about the outcome.
The Robins were 1-0 ahead at the time, Loversidge finishing off a cross swept into the box from the by-line by Josh Short who had danced around five Lingfield defenders on a mazy run forward.
With tiredness creeping into the Hassocks ranks, the Lingers grew in strength as the game went on and equalised when Jamie Bakhit smashed past Alex Harris with 13 minutes left to play.
Harris had an outstanding afternoon after re-joining the club for a fifth spell as Hassocks ended the month with a much stronger looking squad than they had started with, especially in the goalkeeper department.
The Under 23s played twice in August. Their opening game was an evening that Jay Hudson will remember for quite some time as he scored all four goals in a 4-1 North Division win over Crowborough Athletic.
Hudson gave Hassocks the lead with less than a minute played. David Crouch levelled the tie on 36 as the sides went into half time locked at 1-1.
The second half became the Hudson show as he scored in the 51st, 65th and 88th minutes to give the Robins the perfect start to the campaign.
A tough second game of the season saw Hassocks go to Horsham YMCA, the outstanding side in the North Division over the past three seasons.
YM had been top of the table in both the curtailed 2020-21 and 2019-20 campaigns. The last time a season had been completed in 2018-19, they were crowned champions after pipping the Robins to the title.
Ryan Baldwin put YM 1-0 ahead at Gorings Mead on 34 minutes. Archie Russell levelled two minutes prior to the break to earn Hassocks a good point on their travels.
There was one Under 18s fixture played in August. A young, new-look Hassocks side went to Middle Road and won 1-0 against Shoreham thanks to a Sam Geard goal.
