HASSOCKS PEGGED BACK TWICE IN END OF SEASON STALEMATE
Anyone used to watching games towards the back end of the season could hardly have been disappointed with what Hassocks and Ringmer served up when drawing 2-2 at the Beacon.
It was far from a classic in terms of the football played but under the circumstances was watchable enough.
Considering there was only pride at stake and Hassocks in particular were without a host of regular first choice players, the teams managed to put on a game that held the attention right to the final whistle.
All four goals arrived in the first half. The Robins twice led but were swiftly pegged back on both occasions by the visitors.
And even through the second 45 minutes were without score, it felt throughout like more goals were a very real possibility.
The players certainly gave it there all, but even if they had not there was never any chance of Ringmer boss Steve Johnson showing anything less than full passion.
It is only a pity that his very obvious full-blown love affair with the beautiful game clearly lacks measure on occasions.
Johnson entered into an unsavoury slanging match with a Hassocks support before eventually being hauled back to the away dugout by Ringmer substitute Aaron MacMillian.
Johnson’s assistant Paul Thomsett was equally vocal and the duo gave the officials a testing time all evening.
It was a fiery game for teenager Sol Bowra to make his senior debut for Hassocks in a makeshift back line. Veteran sweeper and former club captain Chris Hewitt answered Dave John’s call to fill in along with another youngster in Ian Simpson.
John seems to be able to pluck centre backs from anywhere and in Bowra and Simpson, the Robins have unearthed two more this season who should have long careers ahead of them at this level if they want it.
Mickey Jewell certainly knows enough about them and the likes of Michael Bates and Laurence Robinson ahead of taking over from John next season, what with the first team currently leaning so heavily on players from Jewell’s reserve squad.
Hassocks took the lead on seven minutes via a somewhat soft penalty. The assistant referee spotted a Ringmer defender deliberately handballing which even the most ardent Robins fan would have trouble agreeing with.
Not that Spencer Slaughter minded. He put his previous penalty miss behind him by comfortably beating Ringmer goalkeeper Jack Stern from the penalty spot.
Unfortunately for the hosts, the lead only lasted seven minutes. A neat Joe Dryer cross from out on the left was put away in excellent goal poaching fashion by Marc Whiteman.
The Ringmer forward was made quite a name for himself this season and it would not be a surprise to see him move up to Ryman level for next season.
A minute later and Slaughter nearly caught Stern by surprise with a low first time strike from distance. It took a wicked bounce off the hard Beacon surface which required the young Ringmer goalkeeper to adjust his dive and turn it away.
Stern then did well to put off Richard Thomas when the Hassocks striker opted to chest the ball down when clean through on goal following a splendid defence splitting pass by Richard Thompson. Letting the ball drop and going for goal first time would have been the better option for Thomas.
Still, Thomas showed better judgement when putting Hassocks back into the lead on 29 minutes and leaving egg on the face of Stern.
Good work from Robinson resulted in the ball breaking to Thomas 25 yards out. This time he did strike it first time, catching the Ringmer number one in a questionable position.
Stern was left back pedalling to try and retrieve the situation, only succeeding in palming the ball above his own head from where it looped up and dropped into the unguarded goal.
The Robins were ahead for just four minutes second time around. No prizes for guessing who got the Ringmer goal, Whiteman again showing his predatory instincts with a finish on the turn in a very crowded Hassocks box.
Both teams had chances after the break. The Robins looked most dangerous from set pieces with Simpson going close to a first senior goal via a couple of towering headers on the end of Slaughter deliveries.
Ringmer’s best opportunity fell to Whiteman, denied a hat-trick by a fine save from the feet of Joel Harding.
In the end, a draw was the right result and leaves John with just two more matches in charge before his summer retirement.
Hassocks: Joel Harding; Mickey Turner, Sol Bowra, Chris Hewitt, Ian Simpson, Richard Thompson; Michael Bates, Chris Brown, Spencer Slaughter; Richard Thomas, Laurence Robinson.
Subs: Callum Murray, Logan Newington, Adam Williams, Phil Johnson (unused).
Starman: Chris Brown did a valuable if unspectacular job in midfield against his former club.
