BATTLING ROBINS BOOK AN INTERMEDIATE SEMI
Hassocks Reserves progressed to the semi finals of the Sussex Intermediate Cup after a thrilling 3-2 win away at Division Three side Clymping.
With kick off at the earlier time of 1.30pm, the Hassocks management got in a bit of a muddle and a departure time from the Beacon of 11.15am proved to be far too early for what turned out to be a 40-minute journey.
As a result, manager Roy Staughton led the convoy on an enforced tour of Littlehampton’s Clun Road Estate, thus ensuring the Robins arrival at Clymping Playing Fields for 12.15pm.
Clymping’s ground is a tidy one and it soon had the Hassocks team salivating at the prospect of getting to work for what would be their first action in three weeks.
The pitch was flat although soft on top and the way in which it began to cut up over the course of the 90 minutes ensured this wasn’t one for the purists.
Laurence Robinson was a lively presence early on with a couple of penetrating runs before Hassocks fashioned their first chance of the game from a corner but the evergreen James Laing headed over when it seemed easier to score.
The deadlock was eventually broken midway through the first half, another of those runs from Robinson ending when the gangly-legged forward was brought down in the box and he peeled himself off the floor to strike the penalty confidently home.
As the pitch got heavier, both sides struggled to stay on their feet with Clymping managing the conditions slightly better as they grabbed an equaliser just before the break after some pretty poor defending all round left home captain Harry Thompson free to lob the ball into an empty net.
Half time arrived with the Robins disappointed that they weren’t further ahead. That disappointment was fuelled further when the order of cream teas for half time in the Laura Ashley designed changing room didn’t arrive.
Hassocks were suitably riled up for the second 45 and with Robinson causing havoc in the Clymping defence and Nathan Cooper starting to impose himself, it wasn’t long before they retook the lead.
The lithe figure of Robinson was the architect, some fine footwork teeing up a home defender for a fantastic own goal.
A lack of match practice meant it was always like to remain tight and to the home bench’s obvious delight, they equalised for the second time with just eight minutes remaining after sprightly substitute Jordan Farrell stooped low to head home.
The joy was short lived, however. Just three minutes later and Hassocks retook the lead, an attack down the right ending with a shot blocked but the loose ball was turned back to Cooper who had timed his run to perfection to slam home.
Cooper celebrated wildly with massed crowd behind the goal but Hassock still had another five minutes to see out.
That they did was thanks to the efforts of Ben Palmer, Arni Kublickas, Nick Pitcher and Luke Pawson who manned the borders in the face of relentless Clymping pressure.
Staughton was delighted with his team’s efforts, telling Hassocks FC TV afterwards, “It was a tough game, we didn’t play particularly well but we showed great resilience to keep going forward considering the players we had missing.”
“The support we had today was tremendous and I’d like to thank all nine of them for coming and creating a special atmosphere which drove us on.”
The semi final will be against Langney Wanderers, a much respected side from the East Sussex Premier League. Date and venue still to be confirmed.
Hassocks: Simon Lehyky; Ben Palmer, Nick Pitcher, Arni Kublickas, Luke Pawson; Sam Palmer, Dan Jacques, Natahn Cooper, Elliott Butler; James Laing, Laurence Robinson.
Subs: Tom Davess, Stuart Brown, Rowan Wallis (used).
