Liam Benson has won his second Player of the Month award of the 2018-19 season after being voted as the Robins outstanding performer for February.
The striker previously won the trophy back in December, meaning that he’s now won two of the previous four votes in a blistering run of form.
It was one of the tightest votes of the season as well with Benson just about holding off the challenge of Harvey Enticknap to win by only 3%.
Benson scored just once in February but it was an important goal, his 80th minute equaliser rescuing a share of the spoils for the Robins in their 1-1 home draw against Little Common.
That was enough to win him the man of the match award but it was probably in the shock 1-0 win over Newhaven the week before that he had his best game.
A trip to the Trafalgar Ground is difficult at the best of times but Hassocks were dealt a severe blow early on when top scorer Phil Johnson was forced off though injury.
That left Benson to plough a lonely furrow up front but his commitment to the task was impressive as he performed the role of target man to a tee, looking after the ball and brining others in – something which became particularly important as the Robins finished the game with 10 men following a red card for Johnson’s replacement, George Brown.
Speaking of Johnson, that injury he picked up at Fort Road meant that he failed to make the top four for a Player of the Month poll for the first time this season.
Enticknap meanwhile has become a regular feature since he nailed down a regular starting spot in the first team around November time and he picked up 34% of the vote to finish second.
The midfielder started all three games in February and was a real driving force, scoring his first senior goal for the Robins against his former club Loxwood.
That came as Hassocks produced a remarkable comeback from 3-0 down to pick up a 3-3 draw at the Beacon, Enticknap also playing his part in goals for substitutes Brown and Spencer Slaughter.
Slaughter’s leveller against the Magpies was one of two goals for him in an excellent February that was unfortunately curtailed early due to another suspension.
A week after the Loxwood draw, he netted the only goal of the game with a powerful header which ensured Hassocks picked up that historic first ever win at Newhaven.
Slaughter’s absence was keenly felt in the draw against Little Common, which he was forced to sit out due to an accumulation of far too many bookings.
The top four was rounded off by teenage midfielder Joe Bull who made the final vote for the first time since his summer arrival from Whitehawk.
Bull has had to be patient this season while waiting for first team opportunities but has been rewarded in recent weeks, starting all four of February’s games. He’s show his versatility too, looking equally adept out wide as he has done as part of a midfield three
