Westlake ends injury nightmare by winning it at the death for Robins
After two operations and 361 days out injured, there could not have been a more apt winning scorer for Hassocks in their Isuzu FA Vase second qualifying round tie away at Sheerwater than Lewis Westlake.
The Robins club captain has endured a nightmare year. False dawns and setbacks aplenty have littered the past 12 months leading up to the 89th minute at Eastwood Leisure Centre, when Westlake struck a glorious goal from a full 35 yards to finally decided a chaotic game of football 5-4 in favour of Hassocks.
That scoreline in itself looks absurd. It becomes even more so when you consider the Robins led 3-0 and 4-1, saw Matt Gunn sent off and then head coach James Westlake flashed a red card after the final whistle. And those two dismissals were the boring bits.
Given the carnage that was to unfold, it now seems strange that the first 15 minutes were so serene. Mike Williamson won a header against a Sheerwater player twice his height to create a half chance for Hassocks and Adam Belahcene then made the perfect run to spring the Robins offside trap only to fire off target.
The first effort on target for either side arrived on 18 minutes and it led to Hassocks taking the lead. Alfie Loversidge hung up a cross into the box which Liam Benson leapt like the proverbial salmon to meet and head home.
Hassocks wanted a penalty on 20 minutes when a ball took a strange bounce off the 4G surface and hit a hand. Referee Andrew Tooley did not agree and waved play on, which was probably the right decision.
Also the right decision was Mr Tooley giving the Robins a spot kick six minutes later. Josh Mundy clipped a ball into the box and Jamie Wilkes went to ground like a man saving his wicket for Mid Sussex Heathens in their T20 Plate Final at Hove County Ground the following day.
Tall striker Wilkes enjoyed a good weekend as the Heathens went onto beat Middleton IIIs. Benson was having an equally profitable time. His initial penalty was saved by Billy Wilson but he finished the rebound to double the advantage.
Eight minutes later and Hassocks made it three. Home captain Dale Burnham looked suspiciously like Derek Acorah but he clearly doesn’t have a spirit guide as effective as the famous Liverpudlian medium.
Burnham would otherwise have known not to play a backpass latched onto by Loversidge, who rounded Billy Wilson and rolled into the empty net.
Going into half time and the conversation amongst the travelling support was that even Hassocks with their well known ability to veer from the sublime to the ridiculous could not blow a 3-0 lead in a game in which they looked in total and utter control.
Oh ye of little faith. Within two minutes of the restart, Sheerwater pulled one back. Michael Milne won a flick on and David Armarteifio provided the finish.
Hassocks in fairness responded in the best way possible by adding their fourth of the afternoon seven minutes later.
Williamson led a counter from a Sheerwater corner, dinking a ball into Sean Stephenson. The winger produced a flurry of stepovers and then fired beyond Wilson from what appeared an impossible angle.
Even in the context of such a madcap game, the next 10 minutes were wild. The Sheers scored on 56 through a brilliant Theo White distance strike and then again on 59.
At this point, the stadium announcer summed things up perfectly by popping over the tannoy with: “I can’t keep up with who has scored, but it’s now Sheerwater 3-4 Hassocks.”
Anthony Ogbanufe was in fact the scorer with a header from a White cross. And it did not stay Sheerwater 3-4 Hassocks for long either.
Gunn was sent off on 62 and the Sheers levelled on 67, Obagnufe equalising with an obscene overhead kick which he set up himself. It would have been the goal of the game until Westlake was introduced to proceedings.
Hassocks brought on Pat Harding and Bradley Tighe in quick succession before Westlake, the steady flow of substitutions introducing a sense of normality to leave the prospect of penalties looming large.
And then with a minute of normal time remaining, Westlake picked the ball up in midfield. He had said whilst warming up that his new bleached blonde hair had drawn comparisons to Eminem and so if felt right he picked out the top corner from eight miles out.
There was not enough time left for the Sheers to launch yet another comeback. Hassocks therefore moved into the first round proper of the competition for the first time since 2014.
Hassocks: Fraser Trigwell; Tom Frankland, Matt Gunn, Alex Bygraves, Joe Bull; Alfie Loversidge, Josh Mundy, Mike Williamson, Sean Stephenson; Jamie Wilkes; Liam Benson.
Subs: Bradley Tighe (Mundy 63), Pat Harding (Stephenson 77), Lewis Westlake (Wilkes 82), Harvey Blake, Charlie Fogden (unused).
