Lord Gault and returning Geard give Hassocks three points as they get back to action
It had been a long 11 weeks since Hassocks Under 23s last took to the pitch thanks to rain, snow, frost… you name a type of weather and it had caused a postponement.
Fortunately, the near-three months without a game does not seem to have impacted too much on the Robins based on the comfortable manner with which they saw off Chessington & Hook United 2-0 at the Beacon.
Hassocks had sat second in the Southern Combination League North Division when they last completed a competitive 90 minutes and this three points took them back to the summit above Alfold.
Two points separate the sides who have both played 11 times. Horley Town lurk a further two points behind and Roffey and Broadbridge Heath in fourth and fifth both have games in hand, meaning an intriguing title battle is on the cards in the second half of the campaign.
Hassocks might have gone a long time without football but that does not mean that the management team have been idle with moves made on the transfer front.
Some familiar faces have returned to bolster the squad with two involved in the win over Chessington. Last season’s first team left back Jack Baden has returned to the Beacon after moving to Hailsham Town in the summer and Sam Geard is back after a brief spell at Montpelier Villa.
Geard started the season with the Robins, playing five times and scoring once before 11 games in Southern Combination League Division One with Villa.
He marked his first game back in Hassocks colours with the second goal of the game after Phil Gault had opened the scoring.
Yes, Lord Gault pulled on an Under 23s shirt for the first time this season, meaning he is just a veterans game away from again completing the full set of first team, Under 23s and vets appearances in a single campaign.
Baden, Geard and Gault were part of six changes from the Hassocks XI who had been eliminated from the League Cup by Arundel in that most recent November fixture.
Alfie Loversidge made his second Under 23s start of an injury-hit campaign. He has not been seen in the first team since limping off early on in the opening day defeat at Peacehaven & Telscombe.
Charlie Broad and Ben Hicks also returned with JJ Minty, Kieran Dimelow, George Mercer and Will Varley absentees whilst Marshall Smith dropped down to the bench.
Arthur Rawlingson meanwhile has moved to Saltdean United to reunite with former Hassocks head coach Brad Sweetman. Everyone at the Beacon wishes Rawlingson well and thanks him for his 18 months with the Robins.
Current Hassocks head coach James Westlake joined Smith and Jude Wallis on the bench, with all three receiving second half runouts.
Hassocks were already 2-0 ahead by that point having scored both their goals in the opening 45 minutes.
A slide rule pass from Broad played in Gault for the first and his touch into space and clinical one-on-one finish into the top corner of the Chessington goal deserved a well-earned Thursday night bottle of Malbec when he returned to his stately home.
Gault was also involved in the second, striking a low free kick from 22 yards into the wall. The ball fell kindly to Geard, making no mistake with a powerful low drive sending a difficult bouncing ball into the bottom left corner.
Hassocks: Jack Thomas, Wes Tighe, Will Broomfield, Jack Baden, Jack Smith, Alfie Loversidge, Sam Rogers, Sam Geard, Ben Hicks, Phil Gault, Charlie Broad.
Subs: James Westlake, Jude Wallis, Marshall Smith (used).
