Miles hits hat-trick in seven goal Hassocks showing
It feels like every game a Hassocks side are involved in ends up raining goals at the minute.
On Saturday, the first team edged a nine-goal thriller 5-4 away at Sheerwater in the FA Vase. The Under 18s have recently won 5-4 in their local derby against Haywards Heath Town before suffering a 4-3 reversal a week later at home to Burgess Hill Town.
And now the Under 23s have taken it even further, sharing 12 goals in 90 minutes away against Oakwood.
The Robins scored seven of those to come away as 7-5 winners in a crazy and chaotic game in which it seemed as though every attack was going to end with the ball in the back of the net.
Oakwood finished rock bottom of the Southern Combination Under 23 North Division last season. The current campaign so far has been a similar story with the Oakmen still waiting for their first point having played five matches.
They had scored five times coming into the game at Tinsley Lane, so although they ended up losing, they could at least take heart from a much improved attacking performance.
And who knows how different this might have turned out for the hosts hadHassocks not been able to call upon the services of Nathan Miles?
In his second Under 23s appearance after re-joining the Robins from Shoreham, Miles reminded everyone just why he was one of the most feared strikers on the Southern Combination League circuit during his first spell at the Beacon via a superb hat-trick.
Hassocks made five changes from the side who had beaten Horsham YMCA a week earlier. With Whitehawk Under 18s taking on Lewes in the Isthmian Youth League Cup the following evening, neither Kian nor Josh Nandhra were available.
Lewis Westlake is now back in the first team picture having scored the later winner at Sheerwater on Saturday to hopefully end his year-long injury nightmare once and for all.
Matt Gunn was sent off in that game, meaning Bradley Tighe can now expect a run of games and so it was decided not to risk him in another Under 23s runout. Likewise, Josh Mundy.
The Nandhra brothers, Westlake, Tighe and Mundy were subsequently replaced by Billy Dove, Sam Fernley, Jack Duckett, Sam Smith and Harvey Blake.
For Under 18s forward Duckett, this was his Under 23s debut. Blake and Smith have had stop-start seasons for the senior side so far and needed minutes under their belts.
The sixth and final change came in goal, where Jayden Dunkley made his first start in place of Jack Thomas. Former Robins Under 18s goalkeeper Dunkley has signed for the club again after a year at Saltdean United.
Smith, Duckett and Dove all joined Miles on the scoresheet to justify their inclusions. The seventh Hassocks goal came from youth team striker Cavan Chedzey, notching his fourth of the campaign.
Darrel Agyemang and Arnold Saurombe both scored twice for Oakwood with Abdal Khan adding their fifth.
Hassocks: Jayden Dunkley, Ben Hicks, Dan Turner, Sam Smith, Noah McHale, Harvey Blake, Billy Dove, Alex Wintle, Sam Fernley, Jack Duckett, Nathan Miles.
Subs: Cavan Chedzey, George Mercer, Wes Tighe, Julian Durand (used).
