Three goals from the bench in Hassocks comeback against Down
Three second half goals all from substitutes gave Hassocks a 3-1 victory over Crawley Down Gatwick, ensuring that Non-League Day 2024 was as big a success on the pitch as it was off it at the Beacon
For the second season running, the Robins used the annual celebration of all things grassroots football to give something back to the community by offering half price admission in exchange for donations to the Hassocks Food Bank.
Another crowd in excess of 300 responded by pouring through the turnstiles laden with tins, jars and boxes of cereal.
From the opening whistle Hassocks looked like they’d had their Weetabix as they dominated a game played through rain, hail and sunshine at various points.
Yet a failure to make the most of their opportunities saw the Robins go into the break trailing to a header from Jamie Bahkit in first half injury time.
Liam Holden sent over a free kick from the right flank and slack marking allowed Bahkit to loop one over the helpless Fraser Trigwell.
It was the first meaningful effort on goal Down had managed. They would not manage another either. To restrict opponents who had won their three previous outings scoring four goals in each to so little was testament to how Hassocks controlled proceedings.
Particularly impressive was Faris Khalloqui, who made the most of a very early introduction from the bench to give his best performance in a Robins shirt since joining from Broadbridge Heath in January.
Khalloqui was heavily involved in the best Hassocks moment of the first half, a quite extraordinary 20 seconds in which the Robins hit the post twice and had three other shots blocked by desperate Down defending.
It was the young midfielder’s tenacity which gained possession for his team, leading Sean Stephenson to volley a pass over the top of the visiting defence.
When Bakhit got his attempted back header to Alex Bellingham badly wrong and Jack Troak latched onto it, the fun and games began.
A clearance from ex-Robins defender Louis Pittock’s cannoned into the chest of Troak, rebounding past Bellingham and onto the upright.
Khalloqui saw his follow up blocked by Pittock. The ball fell to Troak who hit the same post. Next it went back to Khalloqui for an effort blocked this time by the flying body of Jack Ryder.
Pittock blocked again when Josh Mundy arrived on the scene with a low and hard drive from outside the box.
The increasingly despairing noise of the crowd as each shot was kept out was quite something. Just to complete the comedic sequence nicely, the danger was only cleared once Ryder produced a diving header with the ball no more than two yards off the ground.
Not so funny was the moment the Anvils took the lead, coming shortly after Troak and Khalloqui had both gone close with distance efforts.
Hassocks to their credit emerged for the second half undeterred by the setback and within 10 minutes of the restart, they were level through Khalloqui.
Bakhit hooked a long Harvey Blake pass away and although it fell straight to Khalloqui, there seemed little danger with the ball 35 yards out and numerous yellow shirts blocking any route to goal.
Khalloqui though found a way through, showing delightful footwork to glide past Holden. Once advanced to the edge of the box, Khalloqui fired in a shot which deceived Bellingham to haul the Robins level.
Bakhit was soon led on a merry dance by Khalloqui from a clever Pat Harding layoff, going onto draw a good one-on-one save from the legs of Bellingham.
It was then the turn of Khalloqui’s fellow substitute Leon Turner to come to the fore with two goals to win it for Hassocks.
The first arrived on 77 via a blistering counter from an Anvils corner. Mundy started a break which swept through Turner, Troak, back to Mundy and finally laid into the path of Turner to apply a first time finish into the far corner.
There was a nice moment as Turner and his teammates celebrated with the watching Phil Johnson, who has not kicked a ball since getting injured on Non-League Day last year at the hands of Newhaven.
A lovely passing move gave Troak a shooting chance superbly tipped onto the bar by Bellingham as Hassocks looked for a killer third.
Turner duly provided it with five minutes remaining, darting to the near post to meet a low Khalloqui cross with a ridiculously cheeky backheel leaving Bellingham totally flummoxed.
Hassocks: Fraser Trigwell; Harvey Blake, Matt Gunn, Dan Turner, Joe Bull; Sean Stephenson, Jamie Wilkes, Mike Williamson, Pat Harding; Alex Fair; Jack Troak.
Subs: Faris Khalloqui, Leon Turner, Alfie Loversidge, Bradley Tighe (used).
Starman: Faris Khalloqui
