10 man Hassocks wasteful in frustrating draw with Oakmen
For the second home game in succession, Hassocks found themselves having to settle for a point from a game in which they created enough opportunities to win comfortably.
AFC Uckfield Town scored with their only shot on target, which arrived after less than 60 seconds. To say it was nightmare start for the Robins would be an understatement.
Alex Fair levelled the tie just before half time and 1-1 was how it finished, frustratingly from the point of view of the hosts.
Squandered opportunities were not the only problem for Hassocks, either. They saw captain Alex Bygraves shown a straight red card on the hour mark, meaning he now misses three games.
A significant number of another bumper Beacon crowd were still in the Clubhouse when Zac Bignell struck to give the Oakmen their first minute lead.
Uckfield goalkeeper Charlie Holmwood drilled a huge punt of a free kick 70 yards up the pitch which nobody in red was able to deal with. Still, the angle looked impossible when the ball eventually dropped for Bignell virtually on the by-line.
Somehow though, he drilled a volley through the tightest of gaps between Fraser Trigwell and his near post which flashed across the face of goal and hit the far post to divert in. It was some finish from Bignell, even if questions could be asked of the Hassocks defence.
Trigwell was barely troubled after that. Uckfield were largely restricted to pot shots from distance on the rare occasions they did get forward.
Hassocks in contrast began to take control. Pat Harding hooked a ball over the top for Liam Benson to chase but the Robins leading scorer could only fire high, wide and handsome.
A Joe Bull corner broke to Harding at the edge of the box for an effort deflected by an Uckfield head back out wide.
That gave Sean Stephenson a chance to deliver again with Uckfield winger Ali Rainford almost glancing in for an own goal.
Stephenson took the resulting corner from the other side and found the unmarked Jamie Wilkes. The tall striker though could only head over against his former club.
From their next corner worked short between Bull and Stephenson, Bygraves found the back of the net with a header controversially ruled out for offside.
The reaction of those home supporters stood directly behind the flagging assistant referee told it all; shaking heads all round.
Bygraves next turned creator, feeding a brilliant ball up the pitch bettered by an incredible first touch from Benson.
Having opened up a lot of space for a shot with that piece of control, Benson saw his rasping volley superbly kept out by Holmwood.
That was the start of a busy period for the visiting custodian. Fair showed trademark quick feet to step inside and curl one from 25 yards which required safe handling from Holmwood.
Fair then split the defence to find the clever run of Harding. Super Pat did everything right yet somehow Holmwood got a leg to the shot, doing enough to divert the ball towards the covering Leon Wright to clear off the line.
Harvey Blake drilled just wide following a surge up the right flank before the Robins finally found their equaliser with three minutes of the first half remaining.
Fair has carved out a reputation for spectacular goals in a short Hassocks career so far but here he showed his aerial prowess, meeting a Bull corner with a powerful header guided between Holmwood and Cameron Wootton guarding the post.
The second half continued in the same fashion as the first. Mike Williamson played a ball over the top which Toby Potter-Drake somewhat bizarrely decided to leather 30 yards up into the air towards his own goal.
Benson gave chase, meeting the dropping ball inside the six yard box with a header which he could only place straight at the grateful Holmwood.
Bradley Tighe was denied his long-awaited first Robins goal by an outrageous Holmwood save from close range from yet another dangerous Stephenson corner. Stephenson then blasted over with a stretching volley from a Benson cross.
Even after Bygraves was dismissed for a lunging challenge on Charlie White, Hassocks remained on top despite their numerical disadvantage.
Holmwood saved from substitute Alfie Loversidge, who then broke clear and flashed a low ball across goal which Benson was inches from converting.
When Tighe put a header from a Bull corner over from close range in the final 10 minutes, you sensed it was not going to be the Robins’ day.
Hassocks: Fraser Trigwell; Harvey Blake, Bradley Tighe, Alex Bygraves, Joe Bull; Sean Stephenson, Jamie Wilkes, Mike Williamson, Pat Harding; Alex Fair, Liam Benson.
Subs: Alfie Loversidge, Tom Frankland, Nathan Miles (used).
Starman: Mike Williamson
