Robins back to winning ways with romp to victory at the Rotherfield
Only one other team had left Midhurst & Easebourne with three Southern Combination League Premier Division points before Hassocks made the long Tuesday night trek to the Rotherfield.
Which means this comfortable 3-0 success for the Robins must rank as one of their most impressive results of the season so far.
It could not have come at a better time, either. Winless through three difficult home league matches against Crowborough Athletic, Steyning Town and Eastbourne United, some were suggesting that the wheels were finally starting to come off Hassocks’ most unlikely push for a playoff place.
With this victory, the Robins said not yet. James Westlake’s side are back on track and although there are likely to be plenty more twists and turns in one of the most thrilling promotion races in recent memory, the Robins remain in the thick of it with the final four weeks of the campaign looming large.
Peacehaven & Telscombe are the other side to have left Midhurst with victory so far this season. The Tye’s October win came via a scrambled 85th minute decider from substitute Lewis Croal in a game Stags fans will tell you their side was unlucky to lose.
No visitor has come to the Rotherfield and played Midhurst off the park in the manner Hassocks managed.
The Robins had the game sewn up just past the hour mark, meaning Westlake could make full use of his bench to rest key players for the run-in ahead.
That starts with the visit of Crawley Down Gatwick to the Beacon on Saturday, when the Robins are offering half-price admission to anyone who brings along a donation for the Hassocks Community Food Bank to mark Non-League Day 2024.
Down will provide another tough test of the Robins’ playoff credentials. The Anvils have scored four times in each of their past three matches as they begin to show the sort of form which carried them to runners up spot in the Southern Combination League last season.
Speaking of last season, this result moved Hassocks onto 66 points to eclipse their total from 2022-23 with six games still to play.
Achievement number one ticked off for Westlake and his assistant Tom Hughes, who have said since taking over that their aim is to improve season-by-season.
The Robins are now just six away from equaling the club record for Premier Division points of 72, set when Hassocks also achieved their highest ever finish of fourth under Mickey Jewell in the 2011-12 campaign.
A new benchmark seems eminently plausible. Not that Westlake is looking so far ahead. “A solid away performance and three more points on the board,” was the head coach’s understated take on proceedings at the Rotherfield.
Super Pat Harding gave Hassocks the lead on 28 minutes via a crisp strike from outside the box for his 13th goal of the campaign.
The veteran forward’s contribution to the Robins’ success – particularly since Liam Benson was lured away to Haywards Heath – cannot be understated.
Midhurst rallied after falling behind. Dan Turner had to be alert to stop Lewis Hamilton racing clear and giving Fraser Trigwell something to think about.
This was Trigwell’s 13th clean sheet of the campaign. Having a regular, reliable number for an entire season for the first time arguably since Jack Simpson was between the posts a decade ago has been in another huge factor in the Robins’ success.
Scoring just before half time is always a good thing and so Hassocks were understandably delighted to double their advantage on 41 minutes via tall striker Jamie Wilkes.
Being the absolute fox in the box that he is, the rangy Wilkes reacted quickest when a game of pinball broke out in the Midhurst box to fire home.
Robins man-of-the-match Sean Stephenson rounded off the scoring with 65 minutes after scampering inside from the right flank.
That put the result beyond doubt, Hassocks on easy street and helped banish the memory of the heavy 5-0 defeat Midhurst inflicted on the Robins at the Rotherfield last season.
Hassocks have come a long way since then. How much further they can go over the next month remains to be seen.
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, Josh Mundy, Nathan Miles, Bradley Tighe (used).
Starman: Sean Stephenson.
