Swans sunk for six by rampant Robins in smooth Vase sailing
With their poor record in the FA Vase and questionable history facing teams from lower divisions in cup competitions, a home tie against Storrington had the look of a huge banana skin for Hassocks.
James Westlake’s Robins though made light work of last season’s Southern Combination Division Two champions, easing to a 6-0 first qualifying round victory at the Hassocks Hotel Beacon Ground.
Both sides conjured up early chances to open the scoring. For Hassocks, Alfie Loversidge volleyed a cross from Big Alex Fair against the bar.
That set the tone for a lively man-of-the-match performance from Loversidge in the number 10 role on his first start of the season.
For Storrington, striker Ethan Roberts was denied by a close range stop from Jordan Brown. The rebound fell back to Matt Hards, whose effort was deflected behind by the faintest of touches by Brown in what turned out to be a smart double save.
There was precious little else to report through the opening 20 minutes until Fair headed Hassocks into the lead from a pinpoint Josh Mundy corner.
Goal number two arrived eight minutes before the break, again from a corner. Joe Bull whipped in a wicked ball from the opposite side which Morgan Vale flicked to the back post. Will Berry was lurking to produce a crisp volley for his first Hassocks goal.
Vale is still waiting to break his duck following his summer move from Tunbridge Wells but he came close five minutes before half time.
Patient build up through Fair and Frankland eventually presented Vale with the ball at his feet and his back to goal.
A drag back took Storrington centre half Zack Haulkham out of the game and gave Vale an opportunity. The angle though proved too tight and he fired into the side netting.
Hassocks were almost caught out by the cardinal sin of not playing to the whistle when they felt a Scott Symons punt out the line had gone out of play.
Roberts latched onto it, charged inside and produced a low show which Brown did well to hold in the horrifically wet conditions.
Frankland then shot wide and Loversidge was denied by the legs of Swans goalkeeper Harrison Mott in what was a frantic finish to the opening 45 minutes.
The sun made an appearance after the break and the Robins were almost instantly basking in it when an acrobatic overhead kick from Vale flew just over the bar.
Harvey Blake delivered the cross for that opportunity as Hassocks began to find a lot of joy down the right.
Minutes later and a switch from Fair put Frankland into space but his shot lacked the required power to seriously trouble Mott.
It needed another excellent double save from Brown to prevent Storrington pulling one back 10 minutes into the second half.
Hards latched onto a huge kick from Mott, connecting with a difficult volley requiring a sprawling stop from the Hassocks goalkeeper.
Brown was quickly to his feet and managed to scurry across to the other side of his goal to block Roberts’ follow up effort on the line.
Goal three arrived on 57 minutes. Frankland crossed from a Loversidge lay off and Mundy put a difficult header beyond Mott, followed by a lovely backwards roll.
With one eye on the Bank Holiday Monday meeting with Crawley Down Gatwick less than 48 hours later, Westlake rang the changes with all five of his substitutes getting runouts.
And in a sign of the squad depth Hassocks currently enjoy, the final three goals all came from the bench.
Last season’s Under 18s top scorer Cavan Chedzey marked his senior debut with a supremely confident penalty fired into the top corner after Blake was pushed to ground in the box by Jay Hide.
Ruari Farrell added goals five and six in the final 10 minutes, taking himself onto four from six appearances in what has been a seriously impressive start to Southern Combination life after stepping up from the Mid Sussex League.
Farrell’s first came when slamming home from cross range after Raging Bull darted down the let and passed to the back post.
The forward then used his grey-haired head to power into the top corner a cross from Oscar Kemp, another teenager making his Hassocks bow.
Hassocks: Jordan Brown; Harvey Blake, Will Berry, Liam Hendy, Joe Bull; Tom Frankland, Jamie Wilkes, Josh Mundy, Alex Fair; Alfie Loversidge; Morgan Vale.
Subs: Ruari Farrell, Cavan Chedzey, Joe Overy, Oscar Kemp, Bradley Tighe (used).
Starman: Alfie Loversidge.
