Lions wash Hassocks out of Senior Cup in a Mid Sussex monsoon
In a Mid Sussex monsoon, Hassocks found themselves washed out of the Sussex Transport Senior Cup at the first round stage by Southern Combination Premier Division compatriots Pagham.
Two goals from Lions left winger Carl Brown gave the visitors a 2-0 success. In the process, Brown ensured the Robins poor record in the competition continues; 2016 being the last time Hassocks went beyond the second round.
As chairman Super Pat Harding said in his programme notes, the Senior Cup is a strange one for Southern Combination clubs.
They are never likely to trouble the business end, although Steyning Town did buck the trend by making the semi finals last season.
Yet it also offers the prospect of a useful home tie against Brighton’s youngsters or one of Sussex’s biggest non-league clubs. That can bring in a large crowd and lead to a potentially money-spinning occasion.
How seriously you take the Senior Cup is therefore a difficult decision to weigh up. Especially since the introduction of playoffs to the Southern Combination League.
There is now much more to play for in the Premier Division, not to mention two winnable competitions in the Sussex RUR Charity Cup and the Peter Bentley League Cup.
James Westlake made six changes from the 2-1 weekend win over Peacehaven & Telscombe which took Hassocks top of the table. But even so, this was a Robins starting XI good enough to take come out of the tie on top.
Bradley Tighe, Joe Overy, Darren Budd, Josh Mundy, Alex Fair and Morgan Vale were all rested. Their replacements Will Berry, Harry Furnell, Dylan Hurst, Jack Troak, Alfie Loversidge and Ruari Farrell are all quality players at this level.
Rather, this was one of those games when things just didn’t work out for the Robins. Better to have an off-night in a competition they are never going to win than, say, an off-afternoon in that first v second clash which had taken place against Peacehaven a little over 72 hours earlier.
Brown bagged his first with only 10 minutes on the clock. It was a poor goal for Hassocks to concede, an in-swinging cross eluding no less than six red defensive shirts and two yellow attackers before hitting the far post and diverting in.
Hassocks were then dealt a blow when forced to withdraw Troak shortly after, meaning Overy’s rest time was cut short.
Overy was soon into the action, playing a part in a blistering counter attack from a Pagham corner which gave the Robins their best first half chance of equalising.
James Smith was big and bold in punching clear with a little help from Harvey Blake hooking away the loose ball.
Raging Joe Bull seized upon it and released Overy, whose 70 yard charge up the pitch defied the slippery conditions.
Overy found Wilkes with a low pass into the box but the tall striker saw his near post drive repelled by a strong arm from long-serving Lions goalkeeper Connor Kelly.
Farrell came close to levelling early in the second half. The grey-haired goose streaked onto a clever volleyed pass over the top from Hurst.
Having accelerated clear of Tom Jefkins, Farrell found the angle a little too tight and drilled just wide of the opposite upright.
The hour mark brought a sensational piece of defending from Blake. A long Kelly kick caught out the Hassocks defence, Brown advanced and when he lobbed the bouncing ball over Smith, the only logical outcome was a goal.
Blake though somehow defied logic, racing back and pulling out an acrobatic overhead kick to clear off the line.
Not that Brown would be denied his brace for long. Seven minutes later and a great sliding challenge from Oliver Hambleton dispossessed Blake 15 yards into the Pagham half.
Lukas Micevicius switched left to Brown, who did the rest by running into the box and finishing into the opposite corner from a tight angle.
Even with over 20 minutes of normal time still to play, you sensed the tie was done and dusted from a Hassocks point of view.
Still, Pagham hunted for goals. Hendy headed off the line from Ben Hauxwell and Smith stayed big to parry away a near-post drive from substitute Oliver Clarke, keeping the score down to two in the process.
This was disappointing evening for the Robins but ultimately, not that many will care if Hassocks get back to winning ways in the bread and butter of league football against Horsham YMCA on Saturday.
Hassocks: James Smith; Harvey Blake, Will Berry, Liam Hendy, Joe Bull; Harry Furnell, Dylan Hurst, Jamie Wilkes, Jack Troak; Alfie Loversidge; Ruari Farrell.
Subs: Joe Overy, Morgan Vale, Noah Hoffmann, Bradley Tighe (used).
Starman: Dylan Hurst.
