Benson bags Bonfire Night brace to beat Bexhill at the Beacon
After seeing their seven game unbeaten run ended at Newhaven last weekend, the Bonfire Night visit of sixth placed Bexhill United to the Beacon provided a good test for Hassocks in terms of responding to disappointment.
It was one they passed with flying colours, even if fireworks were in short supply. A second half brace from Liam Benson secured a 2-0 win and in the process enabled the Robins to leapfrog their visitors in the Premier Division standings.
What made this three points most impressive was the players Hassocks had to contend without. Harvey Blake and Alex Bygraves were suspended and Bradley Tighe at a wedding, denying James Westlake three of his back four.
Leon Turner was ruled out by injury having come off injured four minutes into the Newhaven defeat and Westlake then lost Phil Johnson to illness.
It is testament to the depth of the squad Westlake has built that that none of those five absentees were keenly felt.
Johnson was replaced in the XI by the outstanding Pat Harding, the perfect foil for Benson whose double made light of the Robins being without their 13 goal leading scorer.
Burgess Hill Town youngster JJ Minty came in for Turner on the right, giving a lively display including an assist his full debut for the Robins.
It was the much-changed defence who deserved the most credit, however. Sam Cash, Will Broomfield and Sam Smith have all been forced to wait patiently for starting opportunities over the past two months because of the fine form of Blake, Bygraves, Tighe and Joe Bull.
Westlake now faces quite the selection dilemma having seen his new-look back line shutout Jack Shonk and Evan Archibald, one of the most lethal strike partnerships in the Southern Combination League. A nice dilemma to have, mind.
Despite the constant rain of the 48 hours leading up to kick off, the Beacon pitch was in excellent condition. It was only in the final five minutes that the surface became noticeably wet, meaning that those fans who braved the biblical weather were treated to a surface conducive to playing entertaining football on.
Bexhill started the stronger, an early chance inside of three minutes falling to Shonk. Luckily for Hassocks, he could only blaze over from five yards out.
On five minutes, the Pirates rattled the bar with an effort which cannoned downwards, requiring an important reflex intervention from Alex Harris to prevent the ball crossing the line.
Having weathered that early storm, the Robins grew into the game from quarter hour mark onwards. Harding took an effort on early with his left foot from distance which crept just wide of the post as Hassocks had their first sight of goal with 17 on the clock.
The Robins played some nice stuff over the next half an hour without ever troubling Gregor Shaw in the Bexhill goal.
That was until the final five minutes of the half, which brought two big chances for Hassocks in the same passage of play.
A loose ball fell to Harding whose strike was well repelled by Shaw. The rebound set up nicely for Jamie Wilkes, only for the tall striker to fire wastefully over the bar.
Archibald had his first opportunity on the hour mark. It needed a stunning block from Smith to prevent the evergreen forward giving Bexhill the lead.
Hassocks went up the other end from there, earning a free kick in a central position some 25 yards out. Captain Jack Troak bent an effort expertly around the wall, only to see Shaw fly across his goal to push the ball around the post at full stretch.
The second half was warming up nicely now and two minutes later, Hassocks took the lead. Harding and Minty linked up with the latter playing a defence splitting pass to send Benson scampering clear. The finish was expertly produced.
Minty was by now becoming increasingly influential. Another clever pass created a chance for the rangy Wilkes, fired just wide.
Hassocks had their upright to thank for preventing Bexhill equalising on 70 minutes when a great distance effort from Aaron Cook cannoned off the post with Harris beaten.
That was the beginning of a tense final 20. Cash, Broomfield, Smith and Bull with Harris behind stuck manfully to their task of securing a clean sheet, whilst Minty and Harding both made way after running themselves into the ground for Danny Reid and Phil Gault respectively.
Assistant manager Gault coming off the bench for his first appearance of the season certainly raised the spirits of the home crowd.
And their happy afternoon was rounded off when Benson secured all three points with a scrappy effort in the final minute of regulation time.
Hassocks: Alex Harris; Sam Cash, Will Broomfield, Sam Smith, Joe Bull; JJ Minty, Jamie Wilkes, Mike Williamson, Jack Troak; Pat Harding, Liam Benson.
Subs: Danny Reid (Minty 64), Phil Gault (Harding 89), Sam Rogers (Benson 91), Arthur Rawlingson, James Westlake (unused).
Bedlam Brewery Starman: Sam Smith.
