HASSOCKS SEE THEIR FA CUP DREAMS TURNED TO ASH
As the clocked ticked onto 90 in Hassocks’ FA Cup Extra Preliminary Qualifying Round clash with Ash United, the Robins were somehow still in the tie as they trailed by just a single goal.
Four minutes later and the Combined Counties League visitors had added two more to their tally to run out 4-1 winners. There could be no complaints from the Hassocks camp as they had played second fiddle all afternoon, bar a little wobble when James Laing pegged it back to 2-1 out of the blue with 20 minutes remaining.
Up until that point, Ash had been in complete control. They played with the confidence of a side who had also hit four goals in their opening league game of the season last weekend, although their attitude towards the match officials have become tiresome long before the full time whistle.
Ash had four players booked for a mixture of niggly fouls and dissent and one more sent from the bench. Hassocks meanwhile picked up just one, although the yellow shown to Spencer Slaughter was completely justified.
Hassocks welcomed back Anthony Hibbert who has re-signed from Horsham YMCA after finding a starting spot in Ryman League football hard to come by at Gorings Mead. But even with the return of their chief creator, the Robins lacked creativity in midfield and failed to string together more than two or three passes all afternoon.
Dave John said afterwards that there are still another couple of signings on their way to the Beacon and on the evidence of this performance, they are badly needed. Hassocks look short of firepower, a problem that will only be exacerbated when Matt Amos returns to Cambridge University in the coming weeks.
Amos and Neil Kane’s cause was not helped as they were starved of service while at the back, a lack of pace was again exposed on occasions by an Ash side who banished the memories of their previous visit to Hassocks, a 2-0 FA Vase defeat two seasons earlier.
Laing’s arrival into proceedings just before the hour mark did at least enable Hassocks to start winning a few headers in the Ash half of the field. At 2-0 down and needing a way back into the game, it seemed curious that John chose to haul Kane and not one of the five defenders the Robins had on the pitch, especially as Kane is one of the few players Hassocks have with a turn of foot to chase Laing’s flick-ons.
Hassocks did have the first chance of note but Hibbert failed to get any power in his shot. On 12 minutes, Ash went in front when impressive left-footed defender Lee O’Donnell was allowed a free header from a corner by the equally eye-catching James Blason.
The Robins failed to learn from that and again left O’Donnell unmarked from Blason’s next set piece delivery. Fortunately, O’Donnell was off target with his effort second time around.
A couple of Hibbert free kicks did pose problems for Ash keeper Arjuna Adlam, who did well to turn the first over the bar when it looked like the 40-yard effort would catch him out. Hibbert’s second attempt came from 15 yards closer and was only just wide.
Ash had squandered the two clearest chances after the opening goal but they looked on easy street on 53 minutes. Paul Weatherall and Rob Parrot combined to send Aneel Azeem through and he comfortably rounded keeper Joel Harding, who was left slightly in two minds.
Johnsy felt that the goal had a whiff of offside about it but home supporters who were inline with play said that Azeem had timed his run to perfection. Three minutes earlier, home skipper Ashley Marsh had pulled off a miraculous goal line clearance to deny Greg Kirkpatrick after Harding had been blocked from intercepting an up-and-under cross by Blason.
A route one move did force Adlam to pull off a good save to deny Amos but it was still an unexpected lifeline when Laing swept in an Amos cross six minutes later. That gave Hassocks hope and for a moment, Ash looked vulnerable.
Amos was just too high with a header from a Hibbert corner but that was it as Ash gradually reasserted their authority on the game to finish the stronger.
Great skills by Azeem set up Blason for a thumping drive that Harding did well to turn aside before those two late goals added the superiority to the scoreline that Ash deserved. Both were well taken efforts which came from Michael Pym and Azeem.
Hassocks: Joel Harding; Arni Kublickas, Sol Bowra, Ashley Marsh, Ian Simpson, Richard Thompson; Spencer Slaughter, Terry Gacias, Anthony Hibbert; Matt Amos, Neil Kane.
Subs: James Laing (Kane 57), Daley Clark, Glenn Charker, Dan Jacques, Jason Gander (unused).
