On-fire striker a worthy winner of first award of 2023-24
Not only did six Liam Benson goals in eight games help fire Hassocks to the top of the Southern Combination Premier Division in August, but they also saw the striker named a very worthy winner of the Robins Player of the Month award.
Benson enjoyed the most prolific season of his career in 2022-23, scoring 19 times and that form has carried over into the new campaign.
His first goal of 2023-24 came away against Loxwood, lashing home a Jack Troak corner on the volley at the second attempt as Hassocks ran out 3-0 winners at the Nest.
Benson provided the third goal in the 4-1 home rout of Lingfield 11 days later. The score was 2-1 at the time and the Lingers were on getting on top when Benson latched onto a Joe Bull through ball and applied the finish for an important intervention which turned the tide back in favour of the Robins.
The visit of Midhurst & Easebourne to the Beacon saw Benson write what is suspected to be a Hassocks record for the fastest ever hat-trick in the club’s history.
He needed just eight minutes to hit a treble with all the goals coming before a quarter of an hour had been played in what turned out to be a 3-1 win for the Robins.
Benson rounded off August with a crashing header from another Bull assist when Hassocks saw off Shoreham 3-1 in their final game of the month.
Other individuals aside from Benson had profited from Raging Bull in August and Bull subsequently takes second place in Player of the Month for providing a glut of assists.
Whilst the majority of those have come from pinpoint set piece deliveries, Bull has also provided a set of swashbuckling attacking performances from left back.
And he might well have already won the Hassocks Goal of the Season award for his incredible 35 yard strike into the top corner during the 1-1 FA Cup Extra Preliminary Qualifying Round draw with Erith Town at the Beacon.
Bull was named Robins Starman in that game against the Dockers and also took the accolade when Hassocks won at Loxwood.
Third place in August Player of the Month went to one of the Robins’ summer recruits. Defender Matt Gunn has made quite the impression in his first month in a Hassocks shirt since making the move from AFC Varndeanians.
He has established himself alongside Alex Bygraves at the heart of James Westlake’s defence, impressing with some important interventions in a Robins back line that have looked very solid throughout August.
Gunn has also caught the eye with his penchant for playing raking passes out of defence, one of which saw him assist Benson as part of that rapid hat-trick against the Stags.
