Three nil win gives Robins three points and makes it three victories in a row
The long Tuesday night trip to deepest, darkest Surrey proved worth it for Hassocks as they came away from Alfold with all three points via a superb 3-0 win to make it three victories in a row.
There were three different scorers and had Leon Turner opened his Hassocks account 120 seconds earlier, we would also be talking about a goal after three minutes. Three was the magic number.
Fast starts have become the Robins’ calling card this week. They were 2-0 ahead inside of 12 minutes in their 2-1 win at AFC Uckfield Town on Saturday and found themselves with the same advantage after 15 minutes on a beautiful evening at the Elliot Scott Group Stadium.
The heavy rain of earlier in the day put some much needed zip onto the playing surface. It did not take the Robins long to take the lead via a really well worked passing move.
Lewis Westlake released Turner down the right. His low pass into the box was laid off to James Westlake by Liam Benson.
Turner had continued his run inside, head coach Westlake threaded the ball through a gap back to his winger who bent an effort in from a tight angle for his first Robins goal.
Alfold appealed for an offside but it was not remotely close. The hosts did benefit from several friendly flags from the assistant referee as the first half wore on however, with both Mark Zydonik and Benson seeing very tight calls go against them.
It was the in-form Benson who doubled the advantage with a quarter of an hour played. Joel Mann and Damien Fortune in the Alfold back line were having one of those evenings where everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.
The worst piece of misfortune was suffered by Fortune after he stumbled in possession when last man. Benson ruthlessly took advantage, running clear with the ball and clinically beating Sebastian Jacovides in the Alfold goal.
Mann was next to suffer a mishap, missing his header from a long Alex Bygraves pass forward. Benson again found himself clear but this time Fortune produced a magnificent saving block after covering a lot of ground.
Alfold came into the game more as an attacking force in the final 15 minutes of the first half. Charlie Martin managed to escape Bygraves to work the space for a sight of goal. Alex Harris did well to get down to his right quickly and hold Martin’s shot.
Kelvin Lucas then sped past Sam Cash and delivered a low cross into the Hassocks box. From six yards out, Martin fired over the goal, the fence and the trees in what was a major let off for the Robins.
Half time gave Hassocks the chance they needed to regroup, once they recovered from locking themselves out of their changing room.
The crowd making their way to the Clubhouse seemed to enjoy Robins assistant manager Tom Hughes appearing from the player’s tunnel and shouting at the Hassocks substitutes warming up on the pitch “Who’s got the key?!”
Benson had two good chances in the space of as many minutes early in the second half to score what would have been a killer third.
A strong save from Jacovides repelled a one-on-one from a difficult angle after Jack Troak had slipped Benson in.
Karim Elmellas became the latest Alfold player to produce a heavy touch under pressure from Benson. That enabled Benson to again race towards Jacovides but this time the Hassocks forward cleared the bar with his shot.
Rampaging Joe Bull was replaced by tall striker Jamie Wilkes on 63 as Hassocks sought to test the hosts with a different threat.
It did not take the rangy Wilkes long to get involved. He had strong penalty claims controversially dismissed by referee Ian Homewood after a clumsy Mann challenge in the area.
A series of decisions from Mr Homewood followed that frustrated Hassocks, culminating in Zydonik entering the sin bin.
The Hassocks defender was caught in the face by the flailing arm of Louie Rand. When Zydonik expressed his disappointment at there being no punishment for Rand, Mr Homewood sent him to the sidelines for 10 minutes.
Hassocks had to weather a bit of a storm playing a man short. Not long into the sin bin and Westlake sacrificed Turner for Bradley Tighe to bolster the back line.
Zydonik could not have asked for a better first touch following his return to action as it was he who headed home the Robins’ third.
Lewis Westlake delivered a corner which Zydonik rose highest to meet, powering home from inside the six yard box.
Alfold knew the game was up and Hassocks might have even added two more in the final five minutes. A Phil Johnson cross was inches away from the gangling leg of Wilkes and Harvey Blake then hit a volley into orbit in a piece of play he later claimed was a deliberate bit of time wasting.
Hassocks: Alex Harris; Harvey Blake, Alex Bygraves, Mark Zydonik, Sam Cash; Lewis Westlake, James Westlake; Leon Turner, Joe Bull, Jack Troak; Liam Benson.
Subs: Jamie Wilkes (Bull 63), Phil Johnson (Benson 71), Bradley Tighe (Turner 76), Sam Rogers (J Westlake 91), Arthur Rawlingson (Zydonik 93).
Bedlam Brewery Starman: Liam Benson.
