ROBINS EVENTUALLY DO ENOUGH TO OVERCOME RESILIENT RANGERS
They had to wait until 20 minutes from time, but Hassocks eventually got the job done to secure a 2-0 victory over a spirited young St Francis Rangers side in what could be the final Mid Sussex Derby between these two for some time.
Rangers have looked all but doomed to relegation since day one but results have picked up markedly in recent weeks. All six points they have secured this season have come in their most recent six games since Barnet’s Head of Youth Recruitment Joe Monks became the third manager of the season to sit in the Colwell Road hot seat.
Monks was absent at the Beacon owing to his commitments with the League Two Bees, as were a number of the signings he has made that have helped arrest the slump.
That left Rangers’ youth team bosses of Robert Ward and Andy Brown in charge and they picked a side that relied heavily on players from both their Under 21 and Under 18 teams.
They proved to be resilient opponents however and looked like they could even have been on for a point until the experienced duo of Micheal Death and Phil Gault struck in the 70th and 80th minutes respectively.
Phil Wickwar cut a frustrated figure afterwards as he felt his side were only just doing enough against limited opponents who in reality they should have put away rather more easily.
Still, Hassocks haven’t exactly been in great form themselves and a second win in nine games was not to be sniffed at, especially giving the horrendous injury crisis which the Beacon seems to gripped in currently.
Not that Hassocks can remove the revolving door from the treatment room just yet. Luke Akehurst was the latest man in, pulling up with a groin complaint in the first half.
He was replaced by James Oliver, the Under 21 left back adding another fine performance to his recent run after breaking into the first team squad.
Such was the quality on offer in the first half that Akehurst’s premature departure was one of the only noteworthy things to happen.
Grady Pummell did make a good block from Jonno Melia and a brilliant 30 yard volley from Death was met with an even better tip over from the young Rangers goalkeeper.
The second half was an instant improvement on the preceding 45 minutes as Pummell rushed out to superbly deny Liam Benson and Death crashed an effort against the bar after good work from Bradley Bant.
Hassocks’ desperation to make their dominance count was evidenced by the strange sight of Tom Barnes attempting a left footed roundhouse volley from the edge of the area. That came just before Death belatedly broke the deadlock.
It was the impressive Oliver who created the chance, surging forward with determination and skill to reach the Rangers box where he laid off to Death who produced a delightful drilled finish with the outside of his boot.
Death’s goal proved to be the cue to summon Gault from the bench after a month out injured with the horrific gash that he suffered away at Eastbourne Town.
Before Gault struck Hassocks’ killer second, Rangers had two golden opportunities to equalise. Firstly former Hassocks youth team player Jordan Littlecott was denied when in on goal by a perfectly timed tackle from Ashley Marsh and from the resulting corner, Thomas Johnston saw his free header kept out by Alex Harris.
The game was up and the points secured for Hassocks with 10 minutes remaining when Gault was played in and he made no mistake against one of his former clubs, driving a left footed effort expertly across Pummell to end the Rangers resistance.
Hassocks: Alex Harris; Bradley Tighe, Ashley Marsh, Tom Barnes, Luke Akehurst; Jonno Melia, Bradley Bant, Josh Hawkes, Jamie Hillwood; Michael Death, Liam Benson.
Subs: James Oliver (Akehurst), Phil Gault (Benson), Dan Stokes (Melia), Rowan Wallis, Reece Wickwar (unused).
