Second half improvement gives Robins reason for optimism
The common problem of injuries and unavailability which have plagued Hassocks Ladies this season continued when table topping Newhaven came to the Beacon.
Still, the Robins delivered a brave performance without a recognised goalkeeper against opponents who have dropped only three points all season.
It finished 4-0 to Newhaven, who moved 14 points clear of second place Dartford in the process. All the goals came in the first half, leaving Hassocks to take heart from a second 45 minutes in which they restricted the visitors to very few chances and fully deserved not to concede anymore.
Newhaven started strongly, soon forcing the Robins defence into action. Claire Stevens headed away an early corner, shortly followed by Emma Flin doing likewise from a dangerous cross.
Defender Katie Read again stood in between the posts with number one Sarah Chappell and regular backup Ellie Moquet again unavailable.
Read made her first save on six minutes as the pressure on Hassocks continued to build. It eventually told with eight on the clock, Chloe Evans providing a smartly headed goal to give the Dockers the lead.
Hassocks have made a good habit of responding well to falling behind this season. They did so again, launching their first attack through some exciting wing play.
Shannon McFadden set off on a good run before combining with Mia Pordage and Kirstin Mair to win a corner which had to be dealt with by the Newhaven goalkeeper.
Read was called into action again for a sprawling diving save on 20 minutes and Flin made an important interception at the expense of a corner which came to nothing.
The game continued to be played almost exclusively in the Hassocks half and McFadden popped up in the back line to head away a teasing cross.
Newhaven added their second goal on 32 minutes, Evans again doing the damage with a lobbed effort this time which crept just under the bar.
Hassocks almost halved the deficit immediately when a superb run and shot from Mair struck the post. The cruelness of that moment was doubled when the Dockers broke up the other end to score their third 60 seconds later. For Evans, it was a first hat-trick of the season.
Hassocks were dealt a blow when lone striker Lola Moon had to be substituted with around five minutes of the half remaining. Moon had bravely chased everything up front without ever seeing much of the ball.
Jess Gray took over and was soon into the action, a clever through ball releasing Jodie Johanson to earn the Robins a corner.
Stevens made a saving tackle as half time approached and Read pulled off a double save, the second stop resulting in a Dockers corner.
The ball was expertly delivered into the box, where Ellie Coade forced it over the line to give Newhaven a 4-0 lead going into the break.
Read was called upon right at the start of the second half, bravely saving at a visiting forward’s feet. In the 50th minute, Newhaven had the ball in the back of the net for a fifth time but it was correctly judged offside.
Hassocks began to grow into the game as the second half progressed, making for a much more competitive spectacle.
Mair thought she had pulled one back on 57 minutes when beating the Newhaven goalkeeper, only to see her second shot of the afternoon strike the post.
When it was not the woodwork denying Hassocks, it was the Dockers goalkeeper. Just past the hour mark and the Newhaven number one saved from Chappell.
The game was now flowing from end-to-end. Bright made a last ditch clearance and Stevens – not for the first time—headed away a dangerous looking cross.
Brown was using her pace to good effect to combat the speedy Newhaven winger as the Robins afforded Read in goal much better protection. One final chance came the way of Newhaven, ended by a saving tackle from Stevens.
Despite the scoreline, Hassocks should be pleased with their performance. For the second week running, Reed was worthy of a special mention as stand-in goalkeeper.
The manager’s player of the match meanwhile was McFadden for a battling performance in midfield on her first appearance of the season.
Hassocks: Katie Read, Tallie Bright, Emma Flin, Claire Stevens, Jo Brown, Mia Pordage, Kirstin Mair, Shannon McFadden, Jodie Johanson, Katherine Chappell, Lola Moon.
Subs: Jess Gray (used).
