Late Hassocks heartbreak as Feasey fires Crows to injury time win
Not only did Hassocks see their seven game winning streak come to an end against Crowborough Athletic, but the disappointment was doubled by losing 2-1 right at the death.
Actually, disappointment is the wrong word. The Robins could be proud of their efforts, giving it everything against a quality Crows outfit who can now go four points clear of Newhaven and Hassocks at the head of the table if they win their two games in hand.
With the Dockers beaten 4-0 at home by Eastbourne Town and Steyning Town held 1-1 by Crawley Down Gatwick, none of the top three coming into the afternoon won.
That was in keeping with one of the tightest, most interesting Southern Combination League title battles for many years. It still seems surreal to be talking about Hassocks in the promotion picture this late in the campaign.
Further twists and turns are undoubtedly to come, starting next weekend when Steyning make the short trip to the Beacon for another huge Saturday of football.
If the visit of the Barrowmen proves to be as entertaining as the Crowborough game, then it is one not to be missed.
A crowd of 412 for the clash with the Crows quite possibly the biggest attendance for a Saturday league game ever at the Beacon.
It was the third highest across the entire country at step five of the non-league pyramid, beaten by only FC Isle of Man and Worcester City – and they respectively have an entire island and a whole city to call upon, rather than a village in Sussex.
Any latecomers would have missed Hassocks take the lead. The opening goal of the game arrived after only four minutes via Jack Troak, continuing to thrive playing as a central striker.
Crowborough tried playing the ball out from the back and when it went awry, Troak was on hand to score for the third time in seven starts since returning from a fractured collarbone.
A sign of what a tough game this would be for Hassocks came in the way the Crows responded to going behind.
Jack Mayhew fired a good opportunity from a cross-shot into the side netting, followed by Robins man-of-the-match Dan Turner producing a superb goal line block from Harvey Killick with Fraser Trigwell beaten.
Lewis Unwin was stretchered off for Crowborough on 22 minutes with a recurrence of a previous ankle injury following a strong tackle on tall striker Jamie Wilkes.
Despite the problem initially looking serious, the Crows reported afterwards that Unwin had thankfully suffered no more than bad swelling.
Harrison Mayhew took over with little disruption caused to Crowborough’s dominance of proceedings since Troak struck.
The visitors thought they had levelled on 34 minutes, only to be foiled by a superb double save from Trigwell.
Ollie Welbourne was first to be denied by the Hassocks number one, who then somehow kept out Mayhew’s attempt from the rebound at point blank range.
Having made it into the break 1-0 ahead, the Robins were more of an attacking force through the first 15 minutes of the second half.
When the Crowborough equaliser arrived on the hour mark, it was somewhat against the run of play and via a slice of luck.
Hassocks won a strong tackle in midfield, only for the ball to rebound and spin miles into the air back over the top of the home defence.
Killick was onto it like a flash, racing clear and producing a deft lob over Trigwell from the edge of the box.
A fortuitous goal, but one the Crows undoubtedly deserved for their first half endeavours and via a finish from Killick nobody could argue against quality-wise.
To make matters worse, the Robins were reduced to 10 men five minutes later. Young Faris Khalloqui paid the price for a silly card on the stroke of half time for kicking the ball away when shown another yellow for a foul.
As harsh as the second booking may have been, the moral of the story was not to have picked up the unnecessary initial card in the first place.
Hassocks had played out over 25 minutes of their last home game with only 10 men. Not only did they survive against Little Common on that occasion, but they found an 86th minute winner through Turner.
This time around, the boot was on the other foot. Pat Harding put a shot wide on a rare foray forward from the Robins whilst Mayhew headed over at the other end.
A draw looked likely up until the 92nd minute when two Crowborough substitutes combined, Elliott Duncan teeing up Jacob Feasey to inflict late heartbreak on Hassocks.
Hassocks: Fraser Trigwell; Bradley Tighe, Matt Gunn, Dan Turner, Joe Bull; Sean Stephenson, Jamie Wilkes, Mike Williamson, Pat Harding; Faris Khallouqi; Jack Troak.
Subs: Leon Turner, Alfie Loversidge, Nathan Miles (used), Harvey Blake, Julian Durand (unused).
