Hassocks hit the magical 40 points mark in March to guarantee themselves a 25th consecutive season of Southern Combination League Premier Division football.
The Robins reached the milestone in their third game of the month, a typically entertaining encounter against a Crawley Down Gatwick side whom they always seem to share a goal fest with. On this occasion, seven goals were plundered as Mark Dalgleish’s side left the Haven with a 5-2 success.
Hassocks had started March with their first trip to Lingfield for five years and it wasn’t a particularly happy one as Sam Clements’ 70th minute header was enough to give the Lingers all three points.
A week later and the Robins’ performance couldn’t have been any different as they hammered Pagham 4-0 at the Beacon to pick up their first victory over the Lions in 10 attempts.
It proved to be well worth that wait. Phil Johnson, who was only deemed fit enough for a place among the substitutes in the defeat at Lingfield, returned to the starting line up and it didn’t take him long to get back into the swing of things as two goals from the Robins’ top scorer in the first 15 minutes set his side on the path to victory.
The first came with only five minutes on the clock, a superb passing move flowing through Dan Stokes, Harvey Enticknap and Benson before Johnson applied an emphatic finish past Jordan Matthews.
His second was a classic Johnson goal featuring pace and clinicalness as he burst his way through a static Pagham defence and coolly rounded Matthews before rolling into the now-unguarded net to double the lead.
Hassocks’ third arrived on the hour mark and it was a goal born out of hard work, Liam Benson showing great tenacity to keep harrying James Horncastle before pouncing on the Pagham man’s last ditch clearance and smashing in from five yards out.
Will Broomfield added the fourth with 15 minutes left to play when Pagham failed to deal with a free kick and he reacted quickest to prod home the loose ball from close range.
That trip to Crawley Down followed with Johnson proving to be simply unplayable as he helped himself to his first four-goal haul in Hassocks colours.
He took 15 minutes to get up and running although there was more than a hint of offside about the opener which left home connections feeling hard done by.
There were no such complaints about the second however, Benson doubling the advantage just past the 30 minute mark with Johnson adding the third from the penalty spot less than 120 seconds after Benson had struck.
Despite Hassocks’ sizeable lead at the break, you couldn’t discount Down from the tie given that they’d have the sizeable advantage of the gale-force wind for the next 45 minutes.
But their task of wrestling a way back into it was made that much harder when Johnson completed his hat-trick with the second half just two minutes old.
Ollie Broad made it 4-1 when he pulled one back for Down just before the hour mark. Johnson added his fourth and Hassocks’ fifth with 20 minutes still to go but there was only one more goal left in the game after that, Down’s long-serving Nick Sullivan making it 5-2 in injury time.
The Robins came within seven minutes of a first win over Langney Wanderers when Kenny McCreadie brought his Eastbourne based team to Mid Sussex before having to settle for a 2-2 draw in a thoroughly entertaining encounter.
Langney were the first to draw blood, going 1-0 ahead as early as the third minute through Tyreele Daley. The lead was short lived however, Dan Stokes equalising just three minutes with Johnson continuing his hot streak by putting Hassocks 2-1 up just past the hour mark.
The Beacon’s second biggest crowd of the season looked like it was going to see a Hassocks win right up until the 83rd minute when Tyler Capon scored the goal of the game with a superb finish that left Josh Green with no chance.
The Robins rounded off March with another home game against another Eastbourne based team but this was an altogether more disappointing afternoon as two goals in seven first half minutes gave Eastbourne Town a 2-1 victory.
Tom Vickers got the first from the penalty spot with half an hour played. The second arrived shortly after
when Will Broomfield and Josh Green got in a bit of a muddle, leaving Dan Perry with an open goal to roll the ball into.
Away from the first team, the Ladies made history as they lifted the Sussex Women’s Trophy for the first time after beating local rivals Burgess Hill Town 2-1 in the final.
Jade Chapman had put the Hillians 1-0 up inside of 10 minutes, the first time Hassocks had trailed in a game since September. They weren’t behind for long however, Kelly Rushworth equalising within 21 minutes before a Liz King header midway through the first half won the cup for the Robins amid jubilant scenes at Culver Road.
Martin Lee’s side didn’t have long to celebrate as they were back in action three days after their final victory, taking on Saltdean United in the semi finals of the South East Counties Women’s League Cup.
Unfortunately for the Robins, their defence of that trophy came to an end thanks to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Tigers with Billie Philpott scoring the consolation.
Hassocks played one Division One West game in March as they dropped points for the first time in the season, drawing 0-0 with Mole Valley. The dreams of a 100% league record were gone but the Robins knew that six points from their final three games in April would see them crowned champions.
The Under 23s were still harbouring title hopes of their own but a 2-2 draw with Broadbridge Heath to kick off their March fixtures was something of a blow.
Tristan Hayes and Jake Lindsey both netted in that one before Max Willcox, Connor Bradley and James Littlejohn were all on target in a gritty 3-2 win over Southwick.
Midhurst & Easebourne were then dispatched 6-2 with six different scorers – Max Donaldson, Bradley, Berridge, Max Willcox, Martin Ratcliffe and an own goal doing the damage.
The Under 18s were in action twice in March and both games ended in defeat. Brad Sweetman’s side were beaten 3-1 at home to Southwick before going down 4-2 against Central Division champions Haywards Heath Town.
