HASSOCKS SUFFER TYPICAL SAFFRONS SETBACK
Eastbourne Town has never been the happiest of hunting grounds for Hassocks and their record didn’t get any better there on their latest visit as they slumped to a 3-1 defeat.
You have to go back to 2006 to find the last time the Robins came away from the Saffrons with three points, a 1-0 win delivered thanks to a Stuart Faith goal.
They did go into the break with the lead on this occasion thanks to Josh Hawkes’ second goal of the season but they were lucky to do so as the hosts missed a succession of chances in what was an entertaining first half of football.
It was a genuine mystery how Town didn’t manage to take one of their countless opportunities. Drew Greenall had fired over when well placed, James Broadbent made an excellent stop low down to deny his former teammate Wes Tate.
Phil Gault proved his worth at the other end of the pitch from where he nearly conducts his business by heading one off the line after a succession of corners and then Aaron Capon rounded Broadbent but could only find the side netting with the goal open and gaping.
That’s not to say Hassocks didn’t have chances of their own before Hawkes opener. James Westlake came closest for the Robins when he rattled the bar with a delicate chip from distance in a game which ebbed and flowed from one end of the other.
The deadlock was broken on the half hour mark and Harry Mills was the architect. The young right back has made quite the impression since his summer arrival from Hailsham Town and he broke forward in trademark style to find himself in a shooting position.
Although Mills’ effort wasn’t the best, in the end it worked out being a clever if unexpected pass to Hawkes who reacted well to neatly finish past Louis Rogers.
Hassocks lost the mercurial Mark Price to a cut head within five minutes of the restart and just eight minutes after that Town were level, Chris Cummings-Bart firing into the top corner to reward the hosts for a lively start to the second 45.
That galvanised Hassocks into being a little more proactive going forward and Town were indebted to Rogers on one of the rare occasion that the Robins got a sight of goal as he did superbly to keep out Michael Death’s header from a pinpoint Gault cross.
How pivotal that save was became immediately apparent as Town went straight up the other end to earn a succession of corners to take them into what must have been double figures for the night.
This being Hassocks with their notorious ability to concede from set pieces, you just knew that eventually one of them would count for something and so it proved when Sean Ray rose highest to head home past Broadbent. Three minutes later it was game, set and match as Tate rounded off the scoring from the penalty spot.
Hassocks: James Broadbent; Harry Mills, Ashley Marsh, Jordan Badger, Luke Akehurst; Mark Price; James Westlake, Josh Hawkes; Phil Gault; Michael Death, Nathan Miles.
Subs: Lewis Westlake (Price), Tom Barnes (Hawkes), Bradley Tighe, Jamie Hillwood, Phil Wickwar (unused).
Starman: James Broadbent.
