Big three points from the Barrowmen puts Robins onto magical 40 mark
For the near 30 years Hassocks have been a Southern Combination Premier Division club, their primary target every season has been to reach the magical 40 point mark which guarantees survival.
Never before have they got there ahead of the first window on an advent calendar being opened, as is now the case following a fantastic 3-2 win away at Steyning Town logged three days before the start of December.
This was possibly the most impressive victory of a campaign which just keeps getting better and better for the Robins against a Barrowmen outfit amongst the title favourites.
You have to be a good side to advance far enough in the FA Cup to host Maidstone United, eliminate Brighton Under 21s from the Sussex Senior Cup and go unbeaten in the league until the first week of November.
Hassocks found out for themselves just how good Steyning can be through an opening 18 minutes dominated by the hosts.
In that period, Sam Remfy clipped the top of the bar with a volley. Fraser Trigwell made an outstanding one-on-one save with his legs when Charlie Meehan was favourite to finish off a lightning quick break led by Joe Radley-Martin.
Steyning next wanted a penalty for an alleged handball by Matt Gunn. Referee Tazlim Ali was perfectly positioned and having completed GCSE Science, knew the stomach is not a part of the arm and so awarded a corner.
Said corner led to another good chance which Charlie Weller got too much under, sending the ball flying in the direction of Storrington.
It was totally against the run of play when Hassocks took the lead on 18 minutes with their first meaningful effort.
Tall striker Jamie Wilkes crossed deep, Alfie Loversidge of all people won a downwards header and 17-year-old youth team forward Josh Nandhra was on hand to fire home a first Hassocks goal on his full debut.
Suddenly, the tide turned and it was the Robins on top. The lively Nandhra did everything right in setting himself up for another opportunity four minutes after the opener, only to shoot over.
Nandhra then showed an explosive turn of pace to run through as Steyning appealed in vain for offside. This time, he fired just wide.
Hassocks got a flag in their favour and correctly so when the Barrowmen had the ball in the back of the net midway through the half, Meehan being at least five yards off before squaring for Lloyd Francis to apply the finish.
By now, the game was ebbing and flowing from one end to the other at breakneck speed. Nandhra caused more problems for the Steyning defence, getting to the by-line and pulling back to Wilkes.
The rangy Wilkes squared for Super Pat Harding, whose powerful left footed drive was blocked behind by Weller.
From the resulting corner, the Robins doubled their lead. Josh Mundy delivered, Gunn won a towering header and Harding smashed in his 150th Hassocks goal with aplomb.
The two-goal advantage lasted 10 minutes. Harry Shooman hit a brilliant grounded diagonal from left to right, Remfy took one touch to cut inside Joe Bull and drilled into the bottom corner.
Hassocks found themselves hanging on for the six minutes that remained until the break. It was a similar story once play resumed, Steyning dominating the opening 20 or so minutes of the second half just as they had the first.
Meehan returned a delicate lob onto the bar when the Robins felt Trigwell had been impeded attempting to punch clear.
Gunn, Alex Bygraves and Bradley Tighe all had to make important blocks at the expense of corners, at which point it felt like Steyning were racking up one corner every minute.
Somewhat ironically then, the Barrowmen levelled the tie when Mr Ali awarded them a corner which never was – not that Hassocks could complain too much when Jack Williamson headed home as Steyning probably deserved to be level.
Momentum was all with all the hosts now. The Robins therefore deserve a huge amount of credit for weathering the storm with no further damage.
When Weller was then sent for 10 minutes in the sin bin, Hassocks took full advantage by finding what proved to be the winner.
Bull played a corner short to Mundy, whose angled cross into the box caught a Steyning boot on the way through. In amongst the ensuring chaos, Bygraves managed to head his side back into the lead.
From there, the Robins’ game management was exemplary as they comfortably saw out the remaining 20 minutes.
The victory lifted Hassocks up to second in the table, just about making up for the disappointment Robins fans felt at missing out on the famous Steyning meant raffle on account of it being a midweek fixture.
Hassocks: Fraser Trigwell; Bradley Tighe, Alex Bygraves, Matt Gunn, Joe Bull; Alfie Loversidge, Josh Mundy, Mike Williamson, Pat Harding; Jamie Wilkes; Josh Nandhra.
Subs: Sean Stephenson (Harding 80), Leon Turner (Nandhra 90+3), Kyle Woolven, Alex Fair (unused).
