Budd sparks Beacon bedlam bending in last minute free kick to send Hassocks top
Conventional wisdom says never look at a league table before 10 games have been played. Hassocks fans could not help but ignore that advice after a 92nd minute winner took them top of the Southern Combination Premier Division.
A chorus of “We are top of the league” rang out around the Hassocks Hotel Beacon Ground at the full time whistle, which came not long after Darren Budd had converted a free kick in stunning style to give the Robins a 2-1 win over Peacehaven & Telscombe.
The Tye arrived in Mid Sussex as league leaders. Just as Petersfield Town had a week earlier prior to their 3-1 defeat at the hands of Hassocks.
It might be very, very early days. But James Westlake’s side deserve their place at the top of the standings. They have needed to take some significant scalps to get there.
From the first whistle it was evident that both sides could play football. Peacehaven were confident keeping the ball between goalkeeper Ryan Hammond and his defence in an attempt to draw the press, like a Southern Combination version of Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton.
Hassocks did relatively well in never allowing the Tye to settle into a proper rhythm. In terms of what they did with the ball, the Robins mixed a similar passing game to that of Peacehaven but were not afraid to go long – namely by clipping balls into dangerous areas for their rapid forwards to latch onto.
That is where the opening goal came from, a wonder strike from Morgan Vale on 10 minutes. Debutant goalkeeper James Smith hit a long pass forward, tall striker Jamie Wilkes flicked on and Vale timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap.
The subsequent finish was superb. Vale saw Hammond in a terrible position and volleyed crisply over the head of the Peacehaven goalkeeper from 25 yards.
Smith was only signed on Saturday morning from Isthmian League South Central side Raynes Park Vale to help Hassocks out of a goalkeeper crisis with Fraser Trigwell and Jordan Brown unavailable.
The mad rush to get him registered proved worthwhile. He was a commanding presence who somehow mastered every teammates name in a couple of hours.
Peacehaven had conceded just three goals all season before Vale struck and all in a single game at Loxwood. Clearly not used to falling behind, they allowed Hassocks to dominate the next 20 minutes.
The Robins won a succession of corners from which they looked threatening. A Josh Mundy delivery caused chaos and confusion, leading to Liam Hendy having a shot superbly blocked by Jake Baldey.
Hendy played a central role in the next corner. Mundy sent a vicious ball to the far post, Hendy nodded back across goal and Fin Agnihotri did really well to head off the line.
Peacehaven gathered themselves after that and their neat football lured Hassocks into making a succession of cheap fouls. It seemed inevitable that one would cost the Robins and so it proved when Ross Barclay was brought down 25 yards out.
Tyler Scrafton stepped up and beat Smith with a brilliant curling effort. It would not be the last superb free kick to end up in the back of the west goal on the day.
The second half went off quickly. Former Hassocks striker Josh Nandhra hit the post within 60 seconds of kick off for Peacehaven.
Smith showed exemplary handling when a cross from the Tye left flank evaded a raft of bodies from both sides and Hendy made a stunning flying block to deny Morris Dench.
Hassocks began to come on strong in the final 20. There were opportunities for Vale, Joe Overy, Big Alex Fair and substitute Jack Troak.
Crucially , referee Brendan Bradley began to give an increasing number of soft free kicks, ironically at the behest of Peacehaven and goalkeeper Hammond in particular.
The official was making a rod for his own back which ultimately led to a foul you would normally categorise as nothing being awarded when Dench caught the rangy Wilkes 25 yards out into injury time.
Budd bent the subsequent free kick up and over the Peacehaven wall. It crashed into the near post, rolled across the line and went in at the opposite side to spark bedlam.
“I’m so short I couldn’t see over the wall, so I didn’t know it had gone in,” said Budd afterwards. Not only did it go in, but it sent Hassocks top. Another special day in BN6
Hassocks: James Smith; Harvey Blake, Bradley Tighe, Liam Hendy, Joe Bull; Joe Overy, Darren Budd, Josh Mundy, Alex Fair; Jamie Wilkes; Morgan Vale.
Subs: Harry Furnell, Jack Troak, Ruari Farrell, Will Berry (used), Alfie Loversidge (unused).
Starman: Liam Hendy.
