Five star Hassocks bounce back by routing Varndeanians
Following their first Southern Combination League Premier Division defeat of the season against Eastbourne United a week earlier, the big question Hassocks faced was how would they respond to losing.
Last season, one reversal often transpired into a barren run of form. Not so this time around. The Robins did enough to squeeze past AFC Uckfield Town in the Sussex Senior Cup on Tuesday night before this dominant display and 5-0 victory over AFC Varndeanians at the Beacon.
Hassocks had the game won before half time, going into the break three goals to the good thanks to Sean Stephenson, Alex Fair and Alfie Loversidge.
Liam Benson added two more after the break and in truth, the winning margin could have been even bigger.
First though, the Robins had to weather a strong start from Varndeanians. Toby Reeder bent a free kick from 25 yards just the wrong side of the post and the same player was inches wide with a powerful drive after Tom Frankland and Jamie Wilkes conspired to give away possession in a dangerous position.
There were half-hearted Hassocks penalty appeals between those two chances. Wilkes glided with the ball from the middle of the park out to the left before dinking a cross to the back post.
Stephenson went to ground from what appeared to be a push in the back but referee Daniel Jeffrey waved play on.
An early tactical adjustment from James Westlake saw Hassocks switch their wingers, Stephenson swapping from left to right with Loversidge going the other way.
It did not take long for the change to pay off. Fair flicked an aerial pass from Joe Bull into the path of Stephenson, who cut inside from his new flank to dance past three Varndeanians defenders and fire into the bottom corner.
Stephenson almost had a second shortly after. Again he drifted into the middle and drew a fine parry from Varndeanians goalkeeper Jordan Hawkins. Fair blasted the rebound over.
Further chances came for Hassocks. Loversidge could not quite convert a Stephenson cross flashed across the face of goal.
The Robins then won a frankly absurd six headers in a row to get the ball into the box, only for Fair to roll a left footed effort just wide when the ball eventually came out of the sky.
Hassocks finally doubled their advantage with five minutes of the first half remaining. Mike Williamson picked the pocket of former Robin Sam Rogers in midfield, Benson worked the loose ball into a gap and Fair produced an outrageous finish from outside the area.
Wilkes was the architect of the third which came three minutes later. The tall striker won a header to set himself racing clear down that left flank he had been eerily drawn towards.
After leading the Varndeanians right back on a merry dance, the rangy Wilkes passed low and hard into the middle where Loversidge arrived to scoop the ball over Hawkins via a quite outrageous finish.
The second half continued in much the same manner as the first had finished with Hassocks well on top. Alex Bygraves was unlucky to see a header drop onto the roof of the net and more Wilkes trickery paved the way for Stephenson to strike into the side netting.
It was in the final 20 that the Robins’ leading scorer Benson came to the party with a 13 minute brace to complete the rout.
Raging Bull has racked up his fair share of assists from left back this season and he added another to his growing collection for the fourth.
Fraser Trigwell sent a pinpoint kick forward, Bull charged up the pitch to win the header and that put Benson in one-on-one. Benson made no mistake, chipping Hawkins as the Varndeanians keeper dived at his feet in vain.
That sparked an action packed closing spell. A stretching Benson volley from a Frankland cross rolled just beyond the far post.
Substitute Kyle Woolven then played a reverse pass to put Loversidge in, only for Hawkins to make the save.
Woolven, Wilkes and Pat Harding all came close to adding to the scoreline, the latter seeing his header denied by a brilliant Hawkins save from point blank.
Varndeanians saw their best chance of the game come back off the post from a header, after which Benson wrapped up the scoring.
The lively Woolven spotted a gap to thread a pass into. Benson was still in this own half when he chased onto it, outstripping the Varndeanians defence and rounding Hawkins to roll into the empty net.
Hassocks: Fraser Trigwell; Tom Frankland, Matt Gunn, Alex Bygraves, Joe Bull; Alfie Loversidge, Jamie Wilkes, Mike Williamson, Sean Stephenson; Alex Fair, Liam Benson.
Subs: Kyle Woolven, Pat Harding, Josh Mundy, Sam Smith, Lewis Westlake (used).
