Four goal win over YMCA gives Hassocks five wins from fantastic February
With eight games crammed into four weeks, February had taken on the look of a pivotal month as Hassocks attempt to secure a top 10 Premier Division finish.
The Robins end it with five wins, one draw and one defeat. The trip to Eastbourne United was abandoned following a double leg break to opposition striker Tony Halsey and will now be replayed in March.
Hassocks saved the best of their victories for last, completing a first league double since the 2003-04 season over Horsham YMCA via a 4-0 win at the Beacon.
There was little indication of the comfortable scoreline which was to come during a first half which was pretty turgid for the most part.
Neither side kept the ball particularly well, the whistle seemed to blow for some sort of infringement every couple of minutes and good opportunities were at a premium throughout the opening 40 minutes.
Harvey Blake had a drive deflected behind for a corner early on and YM’s leading marksman Tom Tolfrey dragged wide when James Shaw might have expected to be tested.
Mike Williamson and Leon Turner then linked up well down the left with the latter going for goal from a tight angle when perhaps he should have looked to lay back across.
The half hour mark brought two moments which very much summed up the lack of quality. First, Tolfrey would have had a clear run at goal had he not elected to use his hand to knock the ball beyond Sam Smith in what resembled a basketball double dribble. Tolfrey was booked for his troubles.
Phil Johnson was then fouled in a good position some 25 yards out. Johnson took the resulting free kick himself with the ball last seen flying over some houses in neighbouring Hurstpierpoint.
With five minutes remaining until the half, some football finally broke out. Alfie Loversidge crossed to Liam Benson, whose excellent flicked header was met by an equally impressive tip over the bar at full stretch from Aaron Jeal.
The first meaningful effort of the match was followed 60 seconds later and this time, it resulted in Hassocks taking the lead.
Smith hit a long ball out of defence which Benson chased. With Jeal advancing to try and cut out the danger, Benson lobbed the ball over the YM goalkeeper and in at the opposite post for a superb finish.
The Robins just about deserved to go into the interval with the lead. They set about extending it with real vigour after the break, winning a flurry of corners.
James Westlake delivered from the left and it needed an outstanding piece of defending from Sam Henderson to prevent a tap in at the back post.
Jack Troak then swung one over from the right which neither Alex Bygraves nor Smith could turn past a mass of white shirts grouped together on the line.
Both the Hassocks and YM bench were increasingly amused by Troak appearing to be making a noise like an aeroplane as he ran up and down the left flank early in the second half.
YM’s mood soon darkened however when the Robins doubled their advantage in controversial circumstances on 56 minutes. Loversidge harried Hayden Neathey, eventually forcing the YM defender to ground and coming away with the ball.
The visitors wanted a foul and it was a bit of a surprise when one was not forthcoming. Loversidge took full advantage of referee Ian Lane finding in his favour by getting into the YM box and squaring for Johnson to sweep home his traditional goal against his former club.
YM had to get on the front foot in the final half hour if they wanted to salvage anything from the game and that suited Hassocks, who were now content to play on the counter.
Shaw made a big save when turning over a Josh Neathey effort but he was otherwise protected well by Blake, Bygraves, Smith and Troak.
It was opposite number Jeal who ended the match the busier. A flying one handed stop denied Benson. Jeal followed that up with a brilliant double save, keeping out Benson’s initial effort from a teasing Loversidge cross and Johnson’s close-range rebound.
There was nothing that Jeal could do when Benson added his second and the Robins’ third with 13 minutes remaining, picking out the bottom corner with a low effort hit from outside the area.
The game was up by that point but Westlake was very vocal in telling his players he expected no let up. That manifested itself in a fourth goal as proceedings entered injury time, created and finished by two substitutes.
Phil Gault dropped into midfield to collect the ball and played a pass into space for tall striker Jamie Wilkes to gallop onto.
The rangy Wilkes took possession 40 yards from goal, used his long gazelle-like legs to skip past two desperate YM challenges and drilled home a low shot from 20 yards via the left hand post to complete the rout.
Hassocks: James Shaw; Harvey Blake, Sam Smith, Alex Bygraves, Jack Troak; Alfie Loversidge, Mike Williamson, James Westlake, Leon Turner; Phil Johnson, Liam Benson.
Subs: Pat Harding (Loversidge 76), Phil Gault (Johnson 79), Jamie Wilkes (Westlake 82), Joe Bull (Turner 87), Sam Rogers (unused).
Bedlam Brewery Starman: Sam Smith.
