Robins left raging after controversial decision extends their goal drought
After the feast comes the famine. Since scoring seven unanswered goals past Roffey on August Bank Holiday Monday, Hassocks have now failed to find the back of the net in 270 minutes of football.
Their third successive blank was drawn in an unusually low-quality game away at Crawley Down Gatwick, settled in the final 10 minutes in favour of the Anvils when substitute Oli Leslie scrambled home the only goal.
Games between Down and the Robins are normally high-scoring, enthralling affairs. The two clubs have swapped players frequently over the past few seasons and that has added to the intrigue.
Rather than footballing entertainment taking centre stage, the main talking point on this occasion focussed on a controversial piece of officiating early in the second half which left Hassocks incensed.
Leon Turner slipped in Pat Harding for a one-on-one with home goalkeeper Alex Bellingham, who produced a superb save low down to his right.
Ex-Anvil Phil Johnson latched onto the loose ball, only to be brought down by Bellingham. No matter thought Hassocks when Jack Troak picked up the pieces, firing into the bottom corner of the empty net.
Then the assistant referee’s flag went up for an offside against Troak. The Robins subsequently expected referee Ian Lane to point to the spot for the foul on Johnson, which had occurred prior to the offside.
Incredibly, Mr Lane concluded Bellingham had done nothing illegal when hauling to ground his former teammate and Troak’s goal was chalked off.
Nothing worth mentioning occurred prior to that incident. The opening 45 minutes was a scrappy affair with neither side managing to string more than a couple of passes together.
Neither Alex Harris – making his 100th appearance for Hassocks – nor Bellingham had a save of any note to make.
The Robins got on top after the break via their wingers. Turner down the right was the best Hassocks player on the park with another positive performance of the sort that has made him a firm fan favourite already following his summer move from Croydon.
Troak was his usual busy self on the opposite flank. If anyone was going to break Hassocks’ scoring drought, then it looked likely to be either he or Johnson.
Shortly after the penalty offside incident and Johnson linked up beautifully with Lewis Westlake on the edge of the Down box.
The duo managed to work some space for Westlake to reach the by-line and his return pass found Johnson in a really good position. Unfortunately, Johnson’s effort could not trouble Belllingham.
Down began to get a foothold in the game following that spell of Hassocks domination. Home man-of-the-match Michael Belli hit the bar with an outrageous strike from distance.
A couple of crosses then flashed across Harris’ goal with Hassocks lucky that no red shirt was on hand to convert.
It began to feel as the second half wore on that the tie would either finish 0-0 or be decided by a scrambled goal from a set piece.
And so it proved. Hassocks ended up being their own worst enemy when conceding an unnecessary free kick in a wide area with seven minutes remaining.
The ball was delivered to the back post, from where it was nodded back across goal. Having failed to win the first header, the Robins also passed up the opportunity to clear at the second, third and fourth attempt.
Eventually, Leslie made them pay when smashing home at the back post, just eight minutes after he had replaced Sam Clements.
Hassocks rang the changes after that to try and elicit a response but Down saw out the short time left pretty comfortably, leaving the Robins to reflect on a missed opportunity to claim at least a point.
They could have done it with it ahead of their next two Premier Division fixtures, tough matches against early league leaders Broadbridge Heath and current third place side Horsham YMCA.
Hassocks: Alex Harris; Harvey Blake, Alex Bygraves, Bradley Tighe, Joe Bull; Leon Turner, Lewis Westlake, Mike Williamson, Jack Troak; Phil Johnson, Pat Harding.
Subs: Will Broomfield (Tighe 71), James Westlake (Harding 71), Tom Frankland (Blake 86), Sam Smith (Turner 90), Jamie Wilkes (unused).
Bedlam Brewery Starman: Leon Turner.
