Farrell double sees off Saltdean in tricky tie at hellish Hill Park
Two goals from Ruari Farrell gave Hassocks a 2-1 win at Saltdean United to take the Robins back to the top of the Southern Combination Premier Division.
Entertainment was in scant supply at hellishly freezing Hill Park. The lack of quality was matched by a lack of phone signal, Saltdean having been cut off by a mobile mast issue not expected to be fixed for another eight days.
It meant no updates could reach the outside world, leaving those Robins fans who had not made the journey south wondering what was going on.
Not that there would have been much to report even if the strongest 5G signal was present. Four shots on target all night led to three goals. And two of those were penalties.
All that mattered for Hassocks though was the result. Saltdean is not an easy place to come on a sunny April afternoon, let alone on a Tuesday night in November with temperatures only just hovering above zero.
The Robins know that better than most. Their previous visit – a sunny afternoon in April – resulted in a 4-3 defeat in the penultimate game of last season which almost derailed Hassocks’ bid for a playoff place. There was no such slip up on this occasion.
With nothing happening through the opening 20 minutes, the talk on the terraces was about the interesting situation trying to enter Hill Park.
The council’s long-standing refusal to do anything about blocked drains on the road leading into the ground meant the entrance was left completely submerged by the heavy rain of the previous 24 hours.
Some Saltdean fans took to kindly ferrying spectators up and down the drive in their cars, as if they were Venetian taxi gondola drivers working a much less glamorous version of The Grand Canal.
In Farrell, Hassocks had their own Merchant of Venice in a generous goal scoring mood. The forward put the Robins ahead from the spot on 22 minutes after Harry Furnell was bundled over in the box.
Liam Hendy clipped the initial ball up the line for Furnell to chase onto. As he threatened to escape Ed Bradley, the Tigers left back took the interesting approach of shoving Furnell in the back.
Remarkably, Saltdean were incensed by the decision to award a penalty. Bradley even managed to talk his way into a booking from referee Adan Siage. Farrell duly sent Jordan Hawkins the wrong way.
Hassocks almost had a second 10 minutes later through what would have been a comical own goal. Farrell darted into the right channel and pulled a low pass back to the edge of the box where Big Alex Fair arriving.
A couple of turns later and Fair managed to get a shot away. It appeared to be heading weakly towards Hawkins until Tigers captain Archie Jutton elected to kick the ball out of his goalkeeper’s grasp and inches wide of the post.
Hawkins had to tip over a dangerous in-swinging corner from Josh Mundy not long before Hassocks doubled their advantage on the stroke of half time.
Bradley Tighe made an excellent tackle at right back, setting the stage for a rare piece of good football to break out.
Mundy released Fair down the right and his first time volleyed cross was on a plate for Farrell to smash home from close range.
Jordan Brown had delighted fans of both sides by wearing a beanie hat in goal through the first half in an attempt to keep warm.
Mr Siage was seemingly less impressed by Brown’s fashion choices. What else could explain him awarding a soft penalty against the Hassocks goalkeeper only five minutes after the break?
Will Saunders was well wide of goal and he managed to play a low square pass into the middle before coming together with Brown. Dan Turner blocked an Alex Patching shot from said pass.
Yet Mr Siage ignored the position of the challenge and the fact play had continued unimpeded to point to the spot. Patching slotted home from 12 yards to half the deficit.
That could have set up a nervy second half. Hassocks though managed the game reasonably well from that point on, leaving Brown unbothered and Hawkins having to repel only a Fair half-chance from distance. Hardly a classic – but the Robins won’t mind that.
Hassocks: Jordan Brown; Bradley Tighe, Dan Turner, Liam Hendy, Joe Bull; Alex Fair, Josh Mundy, Harvey Enticknap, Harry Furnell; Jamie Wilkes; Ruari Farrell.
Subs: Jack Troak (Furnell 70), Morgan Vale (Farrell 70), Alfie Loversidge (Wilkes 80).
Starman: Harvey Enticknap.
