Hassocks head coach spoke to Steve Bone at the Mid Sussex Times after fifth away win in a row
With their 3-1 victory at Peacehaven & Telscombe, Hassocks made it fives from five consecutive away games to open up a 17-point gap at the top of the Southern Combination League.
The Robins have gone about their business in 2025 undaunted by just about the toughest start imaginable to the new calendar year.
And boss James Westlake told Steve Bone at the Mid Sussex Times and Sussex World Sport that he does not think they are getting enough credit from people outside the club for the run they have been on.
After taking only one point out of six from Christmas matches with Haywards Heath Town and Roffey, Hassocks faced kicking off the new year with six straight Premier Division away matches.
So far, they have won five out of five, with a visit to Crawley Down Gatwick this Saturday. Victories have come at Wick, Bexhill United, Petersfield Town, Horsham YMCA and Peacehaven. The Robins have scored 13 and conceded just two.
Westlake said: “It’s been an extremely tough start to this year with six away league games in a row. I’m not sure how the league has allowed it to happen.”
“But going into the Petersfield game, we set the challenge to the players to go and get nine points from the next three – and they truly delivered.”
“Across those three games we faced a team that was sitting third at the time and hadn’t lost at home in the league since September, a team pumping money into their squad and a team returning to their home venue for the first time this season.”
“To go and beat all three teams in the fashion we did is credit to the players and management team.”
Hassocks have kept up their blistering pace at the top when some thought they might have slowed up by now.
Westlake said: “We have been really pleased with what we have achieved so far this season. The players deserve credit in the way we have responded since the Roffey defeat at the end of December.”
“Not only have we shown great character, desire and work ethic, the players have shown real quality to go and win the games.”
No-one in the camp is getting away by their present position or assuming it’s job done. The manager added: “It’s been an excellent season so far; the players deserve far more credit than they’re getting from outside the club. To be in our position with absolutely no playing budget is incredible.”
The Robins then continued their away day success with a 1-0 win on another trip to Petersfield Town, this time in the Peter Bentley League Cup to set up an all-Mid Sussex semi final with Haywards Heath.
