Veteran striker helps Hassocks to unbeaten March
March 2024 saw the GOAT doing GOAT things as Super Pat Harding was named Hassocks Player of the Month in the penultimate award of the 2023-24 season.
Harding delivered both off-the-pitch and on-it for the Robins through March, taking over the captain’s armband after Alex Bygraves picked up a season-ending injury at Peacehaven & Telscombe towards the end of February.
It proved to be an excellent month for Hassocks as they went unbeaten, winning three and drawing one of their four matches.
Only one goal was conceded in that time, whilst at the other end seven were scored as the Robins maintained their challenge for a top five finish.
Harding contributed one to that goals total, opening the scoring in the superb 3-0 win away against a Midhurst & Easebourne outfit who had only lost one league table at the Rotherfield all season prior to Hassocks rocking up.
A crisp strike from outside the box with 28 minutes played gave the Robins the lead and took Harding onto 13 for the season.
He is now certain to finish as top scorer of the players who remain at the Beacon, a superb achievement for a player pushing into his 40s but who shows no sign of slowing with age.
Harding was also instrumental in the come-from-behind 3-1 win over last season’s Southern Combination League runners up Crawley Down Gatwick.
The undoubted star of that show against the Anvils, however, was Faris Khalloqui – and it is the young midfielder who finishes second to Harding in the March Player of the Month award.
Khalloqui was an early introduction from the bench in place of the injured Alex Fair and made the most of the opportunity by being involved in two of the three Hassocks goals.
He scored the first, opening his account for the club with a fine individual effort. There seemed little danger when a loose clearance fell to Khalloqui 35 yards out, only for him to dance around two defenders on an advance to the edge of the Down box before picking out the bottom corner with a low drive.
Khalloqui then provided the cross converted by a ridiculous cheeky flick from fellow substitute Leon Turner for the Robins’ third of the afternoon.
Sean Stephenson came third in March Player of the Month and like Harding, he was on target in the win at Midhurst.
A scampering run inside from the right flank followed by a clinical finish was the highlight of a man-of-the-match performance against the Stags from Stephenson.
He was also a real livewire in the 1-0 win at Horsham YMCA and gave Eastbourne United plenty to think about when they visited the Beacon for a 0-0 draw.
