HASSOCKS HIT STRINGERS FOR SIX IN CUP CRUISING
Four goals from Max Willcox set Hassocks on their way to Sussex Under 23 Challenge Cup victory as they hammered Hailsham Town 6-0 at the Beacon, proving there was to be no hangover from their first defeat of the season a week previously.
It had been a disappointing evening at the Bunn Leisure Stadium six days ago. The Robins had lost their unbeaten record and failed to score in a league game for only the second time in four seasons when going down 1-0 away at Selsey.
This was exactly the response that Nigel Pearce would’ve wanted Willcox’s haul and further strikes from James Littlejohn and Connor Bradley set up a tough looking second round tie at home to Bostik League side Hastings United in a months time.
Pearce rang the changes from the side who’d fallen to the Blues. Captain Ellis Common returned at right back in place of Jake Lane, James Oliver took the place of Kieran Wells, Harvey Enticknap came in for Martin Ratcliffe and James Littlejohn replaced Kieran Dimelow.
It took just eight minutes for the Robins to take the lead, given to them by the quadruple-scoring Willcox. It’s been a frustrating campaign so far for Hassocks’ top scorer of last season, interrupted by an injury picked up in the second game against Midhurst & Easebourne which resulted in him having only one goal to his name coming into the tie with the Stringers.
That strike made it two for the season and Littlejohn doubled the advantage with 37 minutes played, highlighting the cutting edge that the Robins had missed in that defeat to Selsey when he was unavailable due to the first team’s game with Crawley Down Gatwick coming less than 24 hours later.
Goalkeeper Josh Green is another player who has recently established himself in Mark Dalgleish’s front side and he dealt well with a succession of set pieces tossed into his box by Hailsham although there was one moment of relief for Hassocks when Charlie Playford’s volley clipped the outside of the post.
Given that tight first half, you’d have got long odds on Hassocks winning by six goals when the teams went in for the interval and it took 20 minutes of the second period for the third to arrive courtesy of Bradley, continuing his excellent goal scoring form from midfield.
That led to an opening of the floodgates as Willcox notched three further goals in the 70th, 76th and 87th minutes to complete his four-goal haul and ensure a comfortable evening for the Robins.
As for Hailsham, well they’ll be grateful to see the back of Hassocks having also fallen to the Robins in this competition last season via a 4-0 defeat at the Beaconsfield.
The Robins return to league action next Thursday night when Mile Oak visit the Beacon with kick off in that one at 7.45pm.
Hassocks: Josh Green, Ellis Common, James Oliver, Louie Derham, Ben Jonas, Joe Russell, Connor Bradley, Harvey Enticknap, Will Glenn, Max Willcox, James Littlejohn.
Subs: Jake Lane, Kieran Wells, George Galbraith-Gibbons, Steve Bright.
Andrew Hazelden’s photos of Hassocks Under 23s v Hailsham Town Under 23s
