ROBINS HIT SELSEY FOR SIX TO SECURE DIVISION ONE SURVIVAL
Sussex County League Division One football will be played at the Beacon again next season after Hassocks secured their top flight status in emphatic style.
The Robins went to the High Street Ground to face bottom of the table Selsey. They came away with a 6-0 victory, their biggest win for five years to move onto the magical 40 points mark.
Phil Johnson claimed his second hat-trick of the season with Nick Pitcher, Jake Booth and Nathan Miles also on target.
Hassocks are now seven points clear of Ringmer and Hailsham Town, who are left to battle it out for top flight survival.
The Robins have two games left to play against Arundel and Lancing, fixtures which they can now enjoy with the pressure off.
There was a very real danger that it could have been the Robins joining the long-doomed pair of Crawley Down Gatwick and their hosts at the High Street Ground in Division Two next season.
Hassocks recorded just two wins from their first 19 league games of the season. But since Mark Dalgleish and Phil Wickwar assumed control following Dave John’s decision to step down in December, the Robins have won eight and drawn four of their subsequent 17 games to ensure survival and a 21st consecutive season of Division One football in 2015-16.
The first half was a scrappy affair between two relatively young teams. Hassocks began kicking into the wind and down the Selsey slope, which made it difficult for them to get going.
They still managed to go into the break two goals to the good. Johnson opened the scoring with a delightful shot on the turn after 25 minutes and then just before half time, Pitcher hit an exquisite finish from 20 yards.
Ryan Collins hobbled off early in the second half, Jake Both taking his place as Hassocks switched to a front three, a move that looked bold on paper for a side with a two goal lead in a must-win game.
But Dalgleish and Wickwar’s options were somewhat limited, their other two named substitutes being Wickwar himself and an injured Bradley Bant.
Whether the decision was made out of boldness or necessity, it worked. Booth was on target within 10 minutes of introduction, making it 3-0 on the hour mark after finishing with aplomb when slipped in by Miles.
Hassocks were on easy street now with confidence flowing through the side. Three further goals followed in the final 30 minutes, giving the Robins their biggest winning margin since hammering Eastbourne United Association 7-1 in the extra preliminary qualifying round of the FA Cup in August 2010.
Miles continued his late season resurgence after a campaign disrupted by back trouble by netting his third goal in as many games.
The mercurial Mark Price and Johnson played a couple of deft volleyed passes between themselves to set up the chance for Miles, whose finish nearly matched the quality of the approach play.
Johnson had been performing like an absolute machine all afternoon. He completed a deserved hat-trick with two trademark goals in the final 15 minutes, sprinting clear of the defence to latch onto a couple of clever through balls and finishing on the angle.
One of those passes to set the Robins’ 25-goal top scorer away came from a majestic, David Beckham-esque 55 yard pass from Wickwar.
Yes, the Robins joint boss had managed to find a reason to enter the fray with a rare foray as an outfield substitute in place of Tighe.
Surprisingly, Wickwar wanted to talk about more than that assist after the game. The Robins’ great escape from relegation was the subject of choice, with Wickwar understandably glowing with pride at their second half of the season revival.
“For such a young team to fight their way out of the relegation dogfight is a real achievement, they have grown week by week and from being seven points adrift of 16th at Christmas to where we are now says it all,” said the Robins manager.
Hassocks: George Willett; Bradley Tighe, Rowan Wallis, Dan Jacques, Ashley Marsh; Dan Stokes, Nick Pitcher, Ryan Collins, Mark Price; Nathan Miles, Phil Johnson.
Subs: Jake Booth (Collins), Phil Wickwar (Tighe), Bradley Bant (unused).
