Youthful looking Robins see off Town to kick off new year with win
Happy New Year from everyone at Hassocks Ladies. It is hopefully not too late to hand out season greetings, as the first weekend of February was the first game the Robins have completed in 2025.
It ended in a good 3-1 victory over Worthing Town at the Hassocks Hotel Beacon Ground, getting the Robins back to winning ways following the 6-0 defeat away against Horsham which rounded off 2024 some seven weeks ago.
With the Under 18s playing their County Cup semi final at home to Shoreham in the morning, the visit of Town was moved to a 3pm kick off.
Thankfully, it was bright and sunny day which meant the game was able to finish without the need for the floodlights. Dave John would have been counting the pennies otherwise!
Hassocks had won 4-1 away at Palantine Park against Town back in November but the scoreline looked more comfortable than the actual game was.
The sides went into half time locked at 1-1 in a game badly impacted by Storm Bert. Having defended the very strong wind during the opening 45 minutes, Hassocks made better use of it being behind their backs in the second half by racking up three goals.
With conditions much nicer on this occasion, the game was going to be more about who produced the better football on the day than which team coped better in a hurricane.
The Robins were without top scorer Katherine Chappell, who had netted twice down in Worthing earlier in the season.
That meant Mandy Morgan coming in for only her second start of the campaign. It was a deserved opportunity for Morgan, who has contributed five goals mainly from that bench.
And Morgan duly made the most of the chance, adding another two to her total to move one behind Chappell in Hassocks top scorer list.
There were six changes in total for the Robins from the heavy defeat at Horsham last time out due to a number of other players also being unavailable, giving the Hassocks XI a very youthful look.
Regulars Tallie Bright, Katie Read, Claire Stevens and Kirsten Mair all joined Chappell on the missing list, as did Anya Taylor.
Lilly Lopez, Xanthe Ganpatsingh, Jess Craig, Mel Sanchez and Lola Moon came in alongside Morgan.
Early goals from Morgan and Town top scorer Dulcie Elder looked like they would send the sides into the break level.
Craig though moved Hassocks ahead on the stroke of half time and Morgan added her second and the Robins’ third in the final 15 minutes.
The Robins clung on despite having only Poppy Snelling as sub and losing Morgan to injury late on. A great effort from the 12 players available and a good way to start the new year.
Hassocks: Cultlack, Lopez, Ganpatsingh, Sanchez, Pordage, Moon, Harding, Dalgleish, Johanson, Craig, Morgan.
Subs: Snelling (used).
