BATTLING ROBINS HOLD LEADERS TOWN
Hassocks have waited 18 months for a 0-0 draw and then, like the proverbial London Bus, two have came along at once.
But if the weekends stalemate with Arundel was a stalemate that was easily forgettable and a chore to sit through, this point from their trip to league leaders Eastbourne Town represented a magnificent rearguard display from the Robins.
“An unreal effort bearing in mind we are running on empty,” was how Phil Wickwar described it afterwards. The Robins boss was full of glowing appraisal for his sides defensive fortitude as Hassocks became just the second team this season to record a league shutout against a Town side who have already plundered 92 Premier Division goals.
As for running on empty, the Robins are suffering a real crisis of injuries and availability as a run of six games in 21 days takes its toll.
They handed a first start of the season to Under 21 striker Liam Benson and had a bench featuring just three players – joint boss Wickwar and youngsters Jack Tobias and Michael McCormick who have a grand total of zero minutes of senior football between them.
Benson completing the 90 minutes was all the more remarkable given that he had played a full game just 24 hours earlier for the Under 21s in their 4-1 win over St Francis Rangers.
Benson’s positive attitude, work ethic and desire to put himself through the ringer was replicated across the pitch as a disciplined and well drilled Robins side repelled everything that their illustrious hosts could throw at them.
They put their bodies on the line for the cause as well, none more so than Phil Gault who received a horrific gash on his leg after just five minutes.
It looked more like a bullet wound than a footballing injury and required 10 stitches in a visit to the Princess Royal’s Accident and Emergency Department which lasted until 5am on Wednesday morning – and yet in another example of Hassocks attitude on the night, he too saw out the game.
The first 45 minutes saw Hassocks defending both the Saffrons’ slope and the wind which left them largely pegged back in their own half.
While they never really threatened as an attacking force as a result, they did manage to restrict Town to just a couple of half chances.
In the second half it became more of an open affair as Hassocks were belatedly able to get on the front foot a little more with conditions in their favour.
It was largely defensively where they excelled however, the back four of Bradley Tighe, Ashley Marsh, Rowan Wallis and Luke Akehurt getting blocks on everything. In fact, Alex Harris probably had a quieter game than he did in the Arundel draw three days previously.
This represented a second consecutive clean sheet for the young Hassocks goalkeeper, taking his record to eight in 17 games since returning to the club in November from Metropolitan Police. That has gone a long way towards the Robins’ recent improvement in form.
And although this made it three games without a goal for Hassocks – the first time that has happened since August 2012 – as long as they continue to defend like this then they will win more points than they lose in the final seven games of what has been a hugely encouraging second half of the season.
Hassocks: Alex Harris; Bradley Tighe, Ashley Marsh, Rowan Wallis, Luke Akehurst; Liam Benson, James Westlake, Tom Barnes, Jack Wilkins; Michael Death, Phil Gault.
Subs: Jack Tobias, Michael McCormick, Phil Wickwar (unused).
