Raging Bull bags only goal for resilient Robins to defeat Down
The wins keep coming for Hassocks. A 1-0 success away at last season’s Southern Combination League runners up Crawley Down Gatwick made it seven victories in nine Premier Division matches for James Westlake’s rampant Robins.
Joe Bull struck the only goal of the game midway through the first half to overcome dangerous opponents who had been beginning to find some form following a somewhat slow start to the campaign.
The Anvils came into the clash with four wins from their past five matches, suggesting they had shaken the understandable hangover they had been suffering from as a result of a cruel double disappointment back in April.
Down missed out on the league title by just three points to Broadbridge Heath. They then had a second bite of the promotion cherry, facing Sutton Common Rovers in the Inter-Step playoff.
Victory would have taken the Anvils into the Isthmian League with Rovers dropping into step five. Unfortunately for Down, Rovers won 2-0 to preserve the status quo.
This therefore represented a big three points for Hassocks, which also showed another side of their character.
Most of the Robins’ victories this season have come via swashbuckling attacking football. A case in point being the 21 goals scored through their six previous September matches.
Against Down, they ground out the three points through determination; a gritty defensive display ensuring that one of the few efforts on goal either side mustered all afternoon counted for something.
“It wasn’t a game for the neutral, put it that way,” said Westlake afterwards. “We played Crawley Down away at a similar point last season and were on the wrong end of a 1-0 result. This time though, it went our way.”
In fact, the Robins were on the wrong end of 1-0 results in both matches against the Anvils last season. With three games in a row now between the clubs featuring just a single goal, the hard-earned reputation of Crawley Down against Hassocks for delivering high-scoring, entertaining affairs probably needs revisiting.
This was a day for defences to show their mettle. And in their captain Alex Bygraves, Hassocks had the best player on the pitch.
Bygraves marshalled Hassocks to a well-deserved fourth clean sheet of the season with the rest of the back four of Harvey Blake, Bradley Tighe and Bull all playing their part.
Fraser Trigwell in goal meanwhile showed exemplary handling throughout. Trigwell has proven quite the replacement for James Shaw following Shaw’s summer departure to Burgess Hill Town.
Given how important the Robins defence was to victory, it was somewhat apt that the only goal of the game came from one of its members.
Raging Bull grabbed his second of the season with 23 minutes played, another long distance effort to go with his stunning 35 yarder against Erith Town in the Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round at the Beacon back in August.
After receiving possession on the left, Bull drove inside towards the middle of the pitch. As space opened up in front of him, you could tell he was itching to get the ball back onto his trusty left foot.
Problematically for Down, they allowed Bull to do that. And once he had chopped back to his left, he dragged a shot into the bottom corner which seemed to catch home goalkeeper Alex Bellingham by surprise.
The goal completed a whirlwind 48 hours for Bull. He only arrived back in England on Saturday morning having flown to Marseille on Thursday to watch Brighton in their first Europa League away game.
Ultimately, the rush to the Haven proved worth it with Westlake singling the left back out for special praise.
“Bully has been excellent for us since the start of the season. He is still learning the position but is getting better in every game.”
Down ended the match with 10 men after substitute Ryan Murphy was shown a straight red card with 60 seconds of the 90 remaining.
Murphy had only been on the pitch for four minutes after replacing former Hassocks defender Louis Pittock, completing a bad afternoon at the office for the Anvils.
Hassocks: Fraser Trigwell; Harvey Blake, Bradley Tighe, Alex Bygraves, Joe Bull; Sean Stephenson, Josh Mundy, Mike Williamson, Pat Harding; Jamie Wilkes; Liam Benson.
Subs: Alex Fair, Alfie Loversidge, Tom Frankland (used), Kyle Woolven, Nathan Miles (unused).
Starman: Alex Bygraves.
