Class from Troak helps Hassocks sink Saltdean for opening day success
New season. New chairman. New ground name. 10 new players. But it was a familiar favourite who got the goal to give Hassocks their first win on the opening day of the season since 2016.
Jack Troak came off the bench to strike with 11 minutes remaining as the Robins overcame a determined Saltdean United outfit 1-0 at the Hassocks Hotel Beacon Ground.
It was a fine goal too, both for the build up and the controlled finish Troak produced with his right foot; something of a collector’s item in itself.
Raging Joe Bull, Darren Budd and Dylan Hurst combined on halfway to work the ball right to Joe Overy. Cutting in from the flank, Overy fed Harry Furnell for a shot well blocked by Kacper Ziolkowski.
The danger was not over for Saltdean though and a clever sideways header from Hurst put the ball towards Troak.
One touch with the chest later and Troak bent an exquisite sidefoot volley through a gap between two Tigers defenders.
Saltdean goalkeeper Jordan Hawkins could only watch on, routed to the ground as the ball clipped the inside of the post. The campaign was only 79 minutes old and already Troak might have Goal of the Season sewn up.
Budd, Overy, Hurst and Furnell were amongst seven of those 10 summer signings to make their Hassocks debuts.
Four were in James Westlake’s starting XI – Overy, Budd, Noah Hoffman and Morgan Vale. Hurst and Furnell made a difference when introduced from the bench along with fellow newcomer Ruari Farrell.
There would have been more debutants too had either of the Robins’ two new centre backs – Liam Hendy and Will Berry – been available.
With both absent, Alex Bygraves answered Westlake’s call for one last dance in a Hassocks shirt ahead of an imminent move to Dubai. Bygraves had not been due to play this season.
A man-of-the-match performance and a clean sheet represented a fitting way for the popular defender to bid farewell to England.
Overy in particular looked a real livewire. The on loan Burgess Hill Town teenager created the first opening of the half, sprinting past three Saltdean players on a 40 yard run on the pitch to shoot just wide.
The Tigers went closer shortly after. Ex-Robin Alfie Edmeads sent over a free kick which eventually fell for Fraser Middleton to fire inches past the post.
Herbie Rogers should have done better when failing to get any contact on a deep Edmeads cross to the back post. Bygraves was then required to make a sliding intervention on Middleton at the expense of a corner.
Having weathered that little storm, Hassocks came on strong at the end of the first half. Bradley Tighe almost caught Hawkins out with a free kick launched down the pitch from inside the Robins half.
It bounced just in front of Hawkins, who managed to claw it over the bar and save the embarrassment of being beaten from 70 yards away.
Budd shot off target following some neat footwork on the edge of the box. Overy then lifted the ball over the head of Charlie Yeates, Paul Gascogine at Euro 96 style. His finish though could not match Gazza as it dropped the wrong side of the post.
Clearcut chances had been few and far between through the first half. They became even sparser in the second.
Big Alex Fair headed an Overy cross against the post in what proved the only opportunity until Troak struck.
Hassocks might have expected Saltdean to come on strong after that but Fraser Trigwell was never really threatened.
Any hopes the Tigers had of finding a late leveller then disappeared when they were reduced to 10 men as the game entered injury time.
A loose touch from Aaron Winser saw Furnell nick possession. Winser was clumsy in his attempts to retrieve the ball, tripping Furnell to pick up a second yellow card.
Not a pretty performance from a Hassocks point-of-view, but winning ugly is what the best teams do. We will find out just how good this Robins side are over the next nine months.
Hassocks: Fraser Trigwell; Harvey Blake, Bradley Tighe, Alex Bygraves, Joe Bull; Joe Overy, Darren Budd, Josh Mundy, Alex Fair; Noah Hoffman; Morgan Vale.
Subs: Jack Troak, Harry Furnell, Ruari Farrell, Dylan Hurst, Kian Nandhra (used).
Starman: Alex Bygraves.
