Six goal win makes it seven from seven for rampant Robins
Hassocks Veterans made it a perfect seven to preserve their 100 percent record and move top of the Mid Sussex League Fred Pretty Veterans Plate Group A.
Monday night vets football under the Beacon lights always seems to bring out the best in the Robins and a 6-0 win over Furnace Green Rovers was no exception, led by an irresistible performance from Steve Spies.
With Pat Harding barred from Mid Sussex vets football for being too good, brother Joel who is a goal machine these days not available and Phil Gault injured, Spiesy was charged with being the main source of goals as the Robins looked to make it seven wins from seven matches.
He did not disappoint, scoring a hat-trick and all at the right end. It kicked off a big week for Spiesy, who will be looking to add the Sussex Sunday Trophy to the RUR Cup he won in 1909 and the Sussex Senior Cup of 1933 when his Sunday League team Hassocks Fatboys face FC Grinstead at Culver Road on Thursday night.
Hassocks made four changes from the side who had triumphed 2-1 in the top-of-the-table clash with Ardingly at Oriel High School a little over two weeks ago.
Out went Harding J, Nick Newman, Richard Thompson and Anthony Hibbert who was having his hair done. In came Rob Sayers, Lee De La Rue Browne, Adam Waller and Steve Curtis for his first start of the season.
Jonathan Bundy continued his excellent season by moving onto five goals with a brace whilst Adam Waller rolled back the years with his first of the season. He celebrated by running up to Jack & Jill windmills seven times after the game.
Where Hassocks go next is not clear as of yet. There are presumably two Group A games still to play although at the time of writing neither of these have been scheduled.
If the Robins were to lose both, four teams could yet overhaul them in the race for top spot. Charlwood would require two wins from two and a 21 goal swing to do so.
South Park still have four games left to play and if they were to be victorious in all of those, they would finish on 24 points. Hassocks currently have 21.
Ansty Sports & Social are a further game behind South Park. Should they win five from five then they too would end up on 24 points.
What all this means is that there are many more twists and turns to come over the remaining weeks of the season, which is just as well with the Under 18s and Under 23s having completed their league campaigns by the middle of February.
The top four from Group A progress to the knockout stages of the Plate, along with the top four from Group B.
That leaves the Vets well in contention to add some silverware to the Beacon trophy shelf for the first time in several years. Watch this space.
Hassocks: Rob Sayers, Paul Armstrong, Lee De La Rue Browne, Mitch Broadstock, Ant Humphries, Brendan Leahy, Jonathan Bundy, Adam Waller, Elliott Butler, Steve Curtis, Steve Spies.
Subs: Che Williams (used).
