Nine perfect penalties book Hassocks a place in RUR Cup quarter final
After 17 perfect penalties, it looked like the shootout to decide who of Hassocks and Steyning Town progressed to the quarter finals of the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup might go on all night.
The Robins had nine to their name, including Super Pat Harding drawing gasps from around the Beacon with a cool-as-you-like Panenka dinked down the middle for crucial spot kick number three.
Steyning meanwhile had been faultless through eight, until Charlie Robinson saw his attempt kept out by the excellent James Shaw – who had himself scored the fifth Hassocks penalty.
And with that, the Robins were 9-8 victors and into the last eight of a competition they enjoyed such a memorable run in last season when advancing all the way to the semi finals.
Might they equal or even better that in the final few weeks of the current campaign? An away tie at one of Isthmian League Lancing or FA Vase quarter finalists Peacehaven & Telscombe comes next, but neither of those will fancy facing Hassocks either with the form the Robins have been in since the turn of the year.
There was little sign that this game was destined to finish goalless after 90 minutes in a fast and frantic start throughout which opportunities came at regular intervals.
Shaw raced from his line to bravely deny Dom Johnson-Fisher one-on-one and produced a close range save after Josh Rondell had shown magnificent footwork to turn Alex Bygraves and get into a dangerous position.
Between those two chances, Liam Benson slipped a pass across to Leon Turner charging in from the left. Under pressure from Charlie Meehan doing really well to track back, Turner fired just wide.
Shaw next had to adjust in mid-air to claw away a vicious Meehan free kick on the 20 minute mark which dipped and bent on its way through from 25 yards out.
Good hold up play from Benson saw the powerful striker lay off to Jack Troak, charging forward from left back like Galopin Des Champs coming over the last to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Troak crossed and Benson was on the end of it with a difficult diving header he did well to trouble Barrowmen goalkeeper Lucas Szendela-Goetzke with.
Hassocks had the first opportunity of the second half. Harvey Blake hit a free kick from just inside his own half long into the Steyning box.
Tall striker Jamie Wilkes won an excellent header and that gave the in-form Phil Johnson a sniff of goal. Szendela-Goetze stuck out an outstretched leg to keep Johnson’s effort out.
Troak took the resulting corner and although the Barrowen thought they had done enough to clear, Alfie Loversidge had other ideas when going for goal with a crisp strike from 30 yards.
Szendela-Goteze did well not just to save, but hold the dipping effort from the young Robins winger with Johnson looking to mop up any spillage.
Sheer tenacity created the next chance for Hassocks. Johnson tackled Jack Barnes as the Steyning captain attempted to dribble out from the back and Benson outmuscled Robinson to gain the loose ball.
He fed the rangy Wilkes whose effort was grabbed at the second attempt by Szendela-Goetze just before Johnson could gobble up the rebound.
Shaw made another important save at his near post when Robinson showed serious pace to get forward and shoot on the hour mark.
A nice passing move through Troak and Mike Williamson sent Turner through but he could only fire over from a good position on the angle.
It was a similar story minutes later at the other end, where Steyning substitutes Joe Radley-Martin and Misha Djemaili combined with Jack Langford to create a shooting chance for Radley-Martin placed over the bar.
Radley-Martin was proving a lively presence and he next forced Shaw into a sprawling save in his top left-hand corner with a shot from outside the box after Hassocks were caught out by a mishit corner.
That proved to be the final meaningful chance of the match and so it was to penalties, taken at the west end of the Beacon. Johnson, Josh Bradley, Harding, Troak and Shaw were the first five to convert for Hassocks.
Barnes, Langford, Radley-Martin, Djemaili, Johnson-Fisher did likewise for the Barrowmen and so it was to sudden death – not that there was much sudden about it.
Wilkes, Raging Joe Bull, Blake and Mike Williamson maintained the Robins’ 100 percent record. Rondell, Charlie Maguire and Rob Clark responded in turn for Steyning until Robinson placed his kick too close to Shaw’s right.
The Hassocks goalkeeper went the correct way and was able to get enough behind a powerful strike to push it clear and send his side through.
Hassocks: James Shaw; Harvey Blake, Sam Smith, Alex Bygraves, Jack Troak; Alfie Loversidge, Mike Williamson, Jamie Wilkes, Leon Turner; Phil Johnson, Liam Benson.
Subs: Josh Bradley (Loversidge 64), Pat Harding (Benson 78), Joe Bull (Turner 86), Bradley Tighe, Sam Rogers (unused).
Bedlam Brewery Starman: Jack Troak.
