Defender takes accolade from first run of senior games since April 2022
Dan Turner marked his first month back as a Hassocks regular since April 2022 in style, being named the Robins February Player of the Month.
The popular centre back was one of the star performers in the 2021-22 campaign, helping Hassocks avoid relegation whilst taking home a double of Players’ Player and Supporters’ Player of the Season awards.
He spent most of 2022-23 playing cricket the other side of the world, before returning to the Beacon for the current campaign.
The form of Alex Bygraves, Matt Gunn and Bradley Tighe meant Turner had to patiently wait for an opportunity with most of his football up to now played for the Under 21s.
That changed in February. Turner came off the bench in the Robins’ second game of the month, scoring an 86th minute winner in the 2-1 win over Little Common with a finish featuring nifty footwork any forward would be proud of.
Turner subsequently made his first league start of the campaign as Hassocks won 2-1 at Peacehaven & Telscombe.
He has looked undroppable since then, including when being chosen as Robins Starman for the 2-1 defeat at home to table topping Crowborough Athletic.
With Bygraves unfortunately ruled out for the rest of the campaign, Turner will have a big part to play as Hassocks aim to keep up their unlikely challenge for a playoff spot.
Second place in February 2024 Player of the Month went to Joe Bull, who continues to impress at left back.
Raging Bull has been a virtual ever present for the Robins this season, defending solidly at one end and posing a real threat going forward at the other.
Set pieces have proven a particularly fruitful route to assists for Bull. It was his corner which led to Hassocks opening the scoring in their 3-1 win over Pagham, Jack Troak somehow getting credited with a header despite it quite clearly being an own goal from Lions number one Connor Kelly.
Another Bull corner three days later also created the goalmouth scramble in which Julian Durand pounced to give Hassocks the lead against Little Common.
Behind Turner and Bull in third was Jamie Wilkes, meaning the tall striker has finished in the top three in five out of seven Player of the Month awards so far this season.
The rangy Wilkes helped set up the Robins’ second against Pagham, popping up on the left wing to release goal scorer Leon Turner.
Wilkes was rested for the win over Little Common but returned to play a huge part as Hassocks made the journey back from Peacehaven & Telscombe with three league points for only the second time this century.
He then went onto be one of the few bright spots in the disappointing 4-0 defeat to title chasing Steyning Town which rounded off the month.
