Defender beats tall striker in role reversal from November award
It was a role reversal from November in the Hassocks December Player of the Month award as Matt Gunn pipped Jamie Wilkes to the accolade.
Gunn had had to settle for second spot behind the tall striker last time out as three goals in six November matches saw Wilkes take the award.
But Gunn would not be denied in December, four excellent appearances at the heart of the Hassocks defence securing his first Robins Player of the Month since signing from AFC Varndeanians in the summer.
Gunn started December as something of a one-man blocking machine in the 2-2 draw away at Bexhill United.
The Robins trailed 2-0 until the 88th minute at the Polegrove, after which late goals from Wilkes and Josh Mundy completed a pretty spectacular comeback. That would not have been possible without the earlier interventions of Gunn.
In slippery conditions which made defending treacherous, Gunn dealt admirably with home captain and one of the Southern Combination Premier Division’s most dangerous forwards, Jack Shonk.
Two weeks later and Gunn was one of the few bright spots from a below-par team performance away at Lingfield. It finished 1-0 to the hosts at the New Defence with Gunn taking the Robins Starman award.
Added responsibility fell on Gunn over the festive season due to the absence of his regular centre back partner and Hassocks captain Alex Bygraves.
Gunn responded by keeping former teammate Liam Benson quiet when Haywards Heath Town visited the Beacon on Boxing Day.
He then helped ensure Fraser Trigwell was relatively untroubled in the final game of the month away at Shoreham.
Hassocks ran out 3-1 winners at the Edgar & Wood Stadium with only a stunning distance strike from Martin Bayo getting the Musselmen on the scoresheet.
Second place for the rangy Wilkes means he has now finished in the Player of the Month top three four times out of five awards so far this season.
His goal which launched the recovery against Bexhill was part of a man-of-the-match performance against the Pirates.
Wilkes was then lively in the Haywards Heath and Shoreham games as he continues to shine in a more advanced role following the departure of Benson to the Bluebells.
Raging Joe Bull rounds off the top three for December Player of the Month having shone at left back. Bull was solid defensively whilst continuing to pose a real threat going forward in both open play and from set pieces.
He enjoyed a number of forays forward against Shoreham in particular, linking up well with Alex Fair as Hassocks gave the Musselmen a torrid time down the left flank.
Bull might have also claimed at least one if not two second half against in the Haywards Heath game had the Robins made more of some dangerous deliveries into the box.
