CUP DREAMS OVER AS ROBINS BEATEN BY BLAIR
It was a short-lived return to the FA Cup for Hassocks as their first foray into the world’s most famous cup competition since 2014 came to an end after 90 extra preliminary qualifying round minutes against Hollands & Blair.
This was a game that could’ve gone either way; the Southern Counties East League visitors racing into a 2-0 lead inside of 20 minutes only for Hassocks to pull a quick fire double of their own before we had reached half time.
Both teams had chances to win it in the second 45 with Blair eventually taking one of those through their prolific forward Jamie McDonald with six minutes remaining.
That was too late for the Robins to launch another comeback although there were plenty of supporters in attendance afterwards left wondering if things might have worked out different had Hassocks not been afflicted by the selection issues they seem to have in the opening few weeks of every season.
What also didn’t help their cause was a terrible start to proceedings in which they went 1-0 down inside of a minute. Most of the spectators hadn’t left the sanctuary of the clubhouse by that point as Blair scored a scrappy goal that suggested it could be a long afternoon for Hassocks, Sam Adgie heading home a Brad Webb corner.
That impression was reinforced over the following 20 minutes when it was a genuine miracle that Blair didn’t put the game to bed.
Dan Stokes and Tom Barnes both had to head off the line while Alex Harris suffered a moment of madness in the Hassocks goal when he tried to dribble around an attacker, only to get into a right state, surrendering possession and somehow not being punished.
The large away contingent who had made the journey from Kent and were gathered on the bank behind Harris’ goal enjoyed that and their happiness increased when Harris was nutmegged from a matter of yards after a cheeky flick from Ben Brown to double the lead.
That finally shook Hassocks into life and within five minutes they pulled one back, Michael Death reacting with a crisp volleyed finish after Tom Benham had flapped at a cross from the latest member of last season’s Under 18s to be handed a first team debut, Matt Berridge.
Ashley Marsh made an excellent last ditch tackle and Harris pulled off a flying stop before Benson levelled things up just before the interval.
The Hassocks wing backs of Stokes and Berridge were discovering that Blair’s back line weren’t the quickest and it was Benson who took full advantage of that fact, latching onto a long ball over the top to streak away and lob over Benham with aplomb.
At half time a deluge of rain was deposited over the ground but the Beacon doesn’t have a reputation as one of the best pitches in the county for no reason and it was more than able to cope.
If anything, it aided the game as the slick surface now sped things up and both teams went hammer and tongs at each other.
Harris atoned for his interesting first half display with a couple of fine stops while Stokes shot wide and the move of the match went through Berridge, Death and Stokes but again Stokes was off target.
Hassocks were clearly keen to avoid a trek to Gillingham on Tuesday night for a potential replay but that attacking intent proved costly as they were hit by a sweeping move on the counter which McDonald finished clinically one-on-one.
The Robins summoned Nathan Miles from the subs bench for what proved to be a dramatic final six minutes; Benson firing over when he was played in, Harris making another good stop with his body and then Jordan Badger rampaging forward from centre back to crash an effort inches away.
The drama didn’t end with the final whistle either, Hollands & Blair seeing Anthony Jeffers shown a second yellow card for having a few choice words with referee Andrew Senior – a bizarre finish to a game that otherwise lacked any flash points other than a nasty first half challenge on the talismanic James Westlake.
Hassocks: Alex Harris; Tom Barnes, Ashley Marsh, Jordan Badger; Dan Stokes, James Westlake, Harry Mills, Lewis Westlake, Matt Berridge; Liam Benson, Michael Death.
Subs: Nathan Miles (Barnes), Jack Wilkins, Joe Russell, Ben O’Leary, Kieran Rowe, Josh Green.
Starman: Liam Benson
