LITTLEJOHN HITS SIX-MINUTE HAT-TRICK AS ROBINS BOOK A BIG SEMI
Five goals in the opening 20 minutes set the tone for a ridiculously entertaining encounter as Hassocks Under 23s booked their place in the last four of the Southern Combination Under 23 League Cup.
Three of those goals went to Hassocks’ James Littlejohn as his hat-trick inside of the first 12 minutes put the Robins into a commanding lead with many of the spectators at the Beacon thinking that was game over.
They hadn’t reckoned with opponents Midhurst & Easebourne’s fighting spirit though as the visitors scored two quick-fire strikes of their own to ensure a pulsating tie wasn’t over before it had really begun.
Hassocks dug deep though and eventually went onto win the game 5-2 with Max Willcox and George Galbraith-Gibbons getting their names on the scoresheet in the second half to send Hassocks in the semi finals of the competition for the first time ever.
Robins boss Nigel Pearce made two changes from the side who had picked up three vital points away at reigning West Division champions Pagham the previous Thursday.
Those both came in his front line with Will Glenn and Galbraith-Gibbons dropping out and Martin Ratcliffe and
Willcox coming in.
Hassocks couldn’t have wished for a better start as Littlejohn gave them the lead with just six minutes on the clock with his first of a blistering six-minute treble.
The second arrived five minutes later and the third practically from the restart once the Robins had won back possession from Midhurst.
Thoughts were turning to whether Hassocks could rack up a repeat of the last time these two sides met in league action back in September when the Robins hammered the Stags 9-1.
Littlejohn scored four times that day but his evening’s work was done on this occasion which also proved to be the cue for Midhurst to begin theirs.
Aaron Behan pulled one back for the visitors in the 16th minute and then two minutes later they made it 3-2 through Frank Penfold.
The free-scoring start obviously couldn’t continue and the game underwent something of a drought after that with the next goal not arriving until nine minutes into the second half.
Willcox was the scorer, justifying Pearce’s decision to return him to the starting line up with his 12th goal of the season.
Midhurst were still in the tie though and it wasn’t until the 88th minute that Hassocks wrapped things up, Galbraith-Gibbons netting after his introduction.
That takes the teenage striker onto six for the campaign, all of which have come from the bench as he continues to enhance his reputation as something of a super-sub.
Hassocks will now either West Division rivals East Preston or Newhaven or AFC Uckfield Town in the semi-final, both of whom are in title contention in the East Section.
Hassocks: Josh Green, Ellis Common, Kieran Wells, Joe Russell, James Oliver, Matt Berridge, Connor Bradley, Harvey Enticknap, Martin Ratcliffe, Max Willcox, James Littlejohn.
Subs: Steve Bright, Louie Derham, George Galbraith-Gibbons, Will Glenn (used).
