Club records tumbled with five consecutive clean sheets and Jonno passing 100 goals
With three clean sheets racked up from their final three matches of February, Hassocks kicked off March eyeing up a new club record for consecutive shutouts.
Number four arrived in the battle of the birds against Loxwood at the Beacon. The Robins had to withstand a fair amount of pressure from the Magpies, who were desperate for points to try and pull clear of the relegation battle raging at the bottom of the Southern Combination League Premier Division.
Having weathered something of a first half storm, Hassocks scored twice in the space of eight minutes either side of the hour mark to secure a 2-0 victory.
Captain Alex Bygraves put a towering header from a James Westlaker corner past Jordan Brown in the Loxwood goal and Phil Johnson continued his red hot streak by tapping home after Alfie Loversidge helped on a Harvey Blake cross to the back post.
That much-desired clean sheet record was secured by James Shaw and his backline a week later in a 3-0 win at AFC Varndeanians.
Leon Turner set the tone for what would be a Bedlam Brewery Starman award winning performance by putting Hassocks into the lead with just three minutes played.
Turner turned provider for the Robins’ second goal on 26, slipping in Johnson who easily beat Varndeanians goalkeeper Jordan Hawkins.
Hassocks eased up after that, keeping the ball but never needing to do much with it as they conserved energy for the hectic fixture list ahead containing matches against all of the nine sides above them in the table.
Chances were subsequently few and far between in the remaining hour, so much so that the Robins had to rely on a penalty for their third. That man Johnson converting for his 99th goal in Hassocks colours.
All eyes were now on Eastbourne United, where the Robins would be hoping to extend their sequence of shutouts at one end and looking for Johnson to complete his century.
One of those things did happen, Johnson striking with 11 minutes played. A long ball over the top caught the home defence out, Johnson raced onto it and showed great tenacity to power his way through home centre backs Sam Cole and George Olulode.
Confronted by former Hassocks goalkeeper James Broadbent, Johnson duly fired home to join an exclusive club of players with 100 goals to their name for the Robins: Phil Gault, James Laing, Pat Harding, Anthony Hibbert, Robbie Kitchen and now Johnson.
Hassocks made it to within four minutes of a sixth clean sheet, only for Gary Ingram to become the first opponent to beat Shaw in more than 450 minutes of football as United grabbed a late equaliser.
The following Tuesday night saw Steyning Town visit the Beacon in the third round of the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup. Nothing could separate the sides over 90 goalless minutes and so it was to penalties.
Hassocks converted all nine of their spot kicks, including one from goalkeeper Shaw and a cheeky panenka from Harding.
Steyning were clinical through eight, meaning the first 17 penalties were converted until Charlie Robinson was denied by Shaw, sending the Robins into the quarter finals.
The biggest Beacon crowd of the season turned out for the visit of title chasing Newhaven on Non League Day 2023.
A collection for the Hassocks Community Food Bank which saw more than 300 tins donated got the afternoon off to a good start and the football which followed proved to be pretty entertaining too.
Turner gave Hassocks the lead in the third minute of first half injury time. Henry Watson and Lucas Franzen-Jones looked to have turned things around for the Dockers, only for Liam Benson to strike an 83rd minute equaliser in a feisty 2-2 draw.
The Robins may have gained a point but they also lost their top scorer. A terrible challenge on Johnson on the stroke of half time saw him depart the action with an injury which would rule him out for the remainder of the season.
It was another ill-tempered match which rounded off March against Crowborough Athletic. Josh Bradley put Hassocks ahead with five minutes played.
Crowborough levelled on 33 via Jacob Lambert and then found what proved to be the winner with 17 minutes remaining, Harvey Killick heading home a Lambert free kick.
The Under 23s were aiming to close in on their first Southern Combination League North Division title in March. They picked up four useful points from two matches against Horsham YMCA and Lingfield.
Phil Gault, Sam Geard and George Mercer all scored in a 3-1 home win over YM. A 3-3 draw away against the Lingers followed with Geard, Ed Tobias and Tom Frankland netting – but that only told half the story.
Hassocks had found themselves trailing 3-1 going into injury time before mounting an incredible comeback in the final few minutes. The stuff of champions.
The Under 18s became the first Hassocks side to play in the semi finals of the Sussex Dennis Probee Youth Cup since the 2001-02 season when hosting Isthmian League outfit Whitehawk at the Beacon.
They gave a good account of themselves but found Hawks striker Toby Reeder a little too hot to handle. Reeder showed why he has been involved in Whitehawk’s first team squad by hitting a hat-trick in a 3-1 win for the visitors. Alex Brewer scored the Hassocks consolation.
More knockout football followed in the Under 18s other March match. Goals from Ewan Edwards and a Oliver Parker-Williams brace booked a place in the quarter finals of the League Cup thanks to an excellent 3-0 win away at high flying East Division side Eastbourne United.
The Ladies faced two games in March. Both were against Shoreham, who they were fighting for the lead of the Sussex County Women’s League Premier Division at the time.
Hassocks came away from Middle Road with a 2-1 victory via goals from Shannon McFadden and Katherine Chappell.
Shoreham gained their revenge a week later, winning 1-0 at the Beacon to inflict a first league defeat of the campaign on the Robins.
