SECOND HALF ONSLAUGHT LASHES LANCING IN JOHN O’HARA
Another away cup tie, more Sussex County League Division Two opposition and another potential banana skin avoided.
Having scraped past Peacehaven & Telscombe in the FA Vase at the weekend, Hassocks gave a powerful second half performance to see off the challenge of Lancing 6-2 at Culver Road in the John O’Hara League Cup.
The sides had gone into the interval level at 1-1 but whatever Dave John said to his charges at the break worked wonders as they ran rampant.
Pat Harding ended the evening with four goals, Richard Thomas opened his senior account and even little Ian Dawson netted after coming off the bench.
Lancing proved themselves a good passing side and probably shaded the possession count. They never though threatened to turn that possession into goals, not helped by playmaker Wes Lopez all too often collecting the ball at left back.
Lopez could pose little threat to the Hassocks defence from 70 yards away, in stark contrast to the tormenting Harding did to the Lancers back line.
The Robins adopted a more direct approach and with Harding playing on the shoulder of the last man, Hassocks were able to turn the Lancing defence at will. In that thrilling second half, it felt like the visitors would score every time they went forward.
Harding gave the Robins the lead on 25 minutes. Joe Fernley hit a super strike from 30 yards which crashed against the bar for Harding to head home the rebound.
The lead lasted only five minutes. Over came a Lancers corner, met by a brilliant overhead kick from the edge of the six yard box by Adam Burton.
17-year-old youth team goalkeeper Alex Simpson – making his first team debut standing in for Joel Harding – had no chance of keeping it out. Fernley then scuffed wide on 32 minutes and Harding had an effort cleared off the line just before the break.
Hassocks came out all guns blazing for the second half and the goal of Lee Aylward was under constant pressure from the first minute.
Graham Beveridge had a shot smartly saved by Aylward and from the resultant corner, Stuart Faith headed just over.
The floodgates opened on 56 minutes and unsurprisingly, it was Harding who led the way. Thomas showed great vision to play in Harding. Harding obviously did the rest, firing under the advancing Aylward.
That goal would have been particularly pleasing to John. Hassocks have struggled to get Harding into proceedings suitably during the recent injury absence of regular strike partner James Laing.
If the promising link up between Thomas and Harding at Culver Road was the first sign of a potentially burgeoning partnership between the two young strikers, that can only be good for the Robins.
Thomas had a moment to remember four minutes later when scoring his maiden first team goal. Ashley Low hit a through ball which split the Lancing defence from miles away, leaving Thomas to run through and coolly lob Aylward, who had wandered into no man’s land.
Harding completed his hat-trick on 69 and Thomas was again involved. This time, Thomas drew Aylward, went around the goalkeeper and pulled back to the edge of the box from the by-line.
At least three Lancing defenders were now covering for the stranded Aylward. That did not matter to Harding, who produced a quite brilliant chip over all of them with his left foot which just dipped underneath the bar.
Harding’s fourth and Hassocks’ fifth was much less spectacular, the forward just beating the offside trap to go one-on-one with Aylward. Harding slotted home easily.
A minute later and Harding turned provider, squaring for Dawson to fire home under the body of Aylward. Six goals scored and with the best part of 15 minutes still remaining, you wondered how many more the Robins would rack up.
None was the answer to that, partly due to John taking pity on the Lancers and withdrawing Harding on 78. He was treated to a fine ovation from not just Hassocks fans, but also home supporters.
Simpson had an opportunity before the end to show why he is a regular in the Sussex Under 18s Representative squad with a fine one handed save from John Rhodes.
The young goalkeeper did not deserve to concede a second, being let down slightly by his teammates failing to clear a corner. Burton took full advantage, hammering home another consolation as the tie ticked into injury time.
Hassocks: Alex Simpson; Mickey Turner, Nick Newman, Chris Hewitt, Ashley Low, Richard Thompson; Stuart Faith, Graham Beveridge, Joe Fernley; Richard Thomas, Pat Harding.
Subs: Ian Dawson (Fernley 70), Belal Shaban (Thomas 73), Nathan Harvey (Harding 78), Stripp, Wickwar (unused).
