Gault gets all the goals with a hat-trick for the champions at Oakwood
Phil Gault scored his first hat-trick for Hassocks Under 23s as the Southern Combination League Under 23 North Division champions ran out 3-0 victors away at Oakwood.
The Robins had their first ever title win since development football replaced the old reserve league in 2015 confirmed a little under a fortnight ago without needing to kick a ball.
Loxwood being unable to complete their remaining fixtures meant Hassocks were awarded the three points from their yet-to-be-played game against the Magpies, leaving Neil Parker’s side with an unassailable lead at the top of the table.
The first time Hassocks stepped onto the field as champions last week did not go entirely according to plan.
A particularly heavy April shower meant that the Robins visit to face Broadbridge Heath was abandoned at half time with the pitch at the BodyMould Community Stadium waterlogged.
Hassocks will revisit Heath on Tuesday night in what will now be their final game of the campaign. Victory over Oakwood ensures they go there knowing one last win will mean just five points have been dropped all season, from defeat against Horley Town in September and a March draw at Lingfield.
The Robins’ form has been particularly irresistible since the turn of the year when Gault came into the team. Nine goals from only six appearances have marked him out as an Under 23s player worth keeping an eye on.
Gault’s treble aside, it was a professional rather than spectacular performance from Hassocks. A very much end-of-season feel to the fixture meant that Hassocks never moved out of second gear against opponents who have struggled all season.
The Oakmen sit bottom of the table, their only points having come from being awarded victory when St Francis Rangers withdrew in similar style to Loxwood late in the campaign.
Unlike those two, however, the Oakmen deserve credit for sticking it out when they too could have thrown the towel in by the time April and May arrived.
Oakwood had provided the opposition the last time Hassocks completed 90 minutes four weeks earlier. Neil Parker made three changes from the side who had won 4-1 at the Beacon that night.
Under 18s goalkeeper Jack Thomas returned in goal for his first start since February in place of Fraser Trigwell.
Will Broomfield took over at the back from Luke Marshall, who had made the most of his time back in Sussex from university for the Easter break by scoring against the Oakmen.
And there was a starting opportunity for Alex Wintle. A regular in the Under 18s this season, Wintle has already made quite the impression for the Under 23s with two goals in three games prior to the trip to Tinsley Lane.
George Mercer dropped down to the bench to make way, joined amongst the substitutes by two of Wintle’s Under 18s teammates in Oliver Parker-Williams and Ed Tobias.
All the youngsters involved impressed but this was to be Gault’s evening. On such form, it would not be a surprise to see the prodigious talent force his way into James Westlake’s first team squad for next season.
Gault no doubt celebrated with several amaretto and cranberry juices in a nightclub afterwards as all young men tend to do these days and rightly so. The Robins will now look to finish their record-breaking campaign on a high in six days time.
Hassocks: Jack Thomas, Wes Tighe, Jack Smith, Will Broomfield, Tom Frankland, Alex Wintle, Sam Rogers, Sam Geard, Ben Hicks, Phil Gault, Jude Wallis.
Subs: George Mercer, Oliver Parker-Williams, Ed Tobias (used).
