ROBINS BACK ON SONG IN SUPERB TEAM EFFORT
After a winless run stretching back seven games to the opening day, Hassocks finally tasted victory for the second time this season as they shocked third placed Peacehaven & Telscombe 3-0 at the Sports Park.
Goals from Phil Gault, Nathan Miles and James Westlake ended the Robins barren spell, bringing huge relief to Robins boss Mickey Jewell in the process.
Jewell deserves that. He was bold enough to abandon his favoured 4-5-1 formation and switch to a more attacking 4-4-2, pairing Miles and Gault up front in a lively combination that on this evidence could provide plenty of goals if it is persevered with.
Behind those two, Jewell selected a naturally defensive midfield pairing of Kieran O’Callaghan and Matt Carruthers and that also proved to be a clever move as it allowed James Westlake and Jamie Weston to get forward on numerous occasions down the flanks.
Unfortunately for Hassocks, O’Callaghan now misses two games due to suspension but the Robins remain hopeful that Anthony Hibbert will soon return from a nagging knee injury.
Having been 2-0 down inside the first quarter of an hour in successive games, it was important for Hassocks not to concede and although Craig Bunch nudged an effort just wide early on and former Robin Sol Bowra rattled the bar with a header, Hassocks weathered early Peacehaven pressure and grew in confidence.
Carruthers had an effort blocked on the line from a Westlake corner and then following a flowing move involving O’Callaghan, Weston and Westlake, Gault rounded Jake Buss in the Peacehaven goal but his effort hit the side netting.
Westlake then played in Nathan Miles who shot straight at Buss and then Miles fired over from another Westlake centre.
However, on the half hour Hassocks got the reward that their dominance deserved when Gault rose to head home a typically excellent Chris Maynard free kick.
Stuart Faith earned his customary booking from referee Darren Eaton for upending Bunch before Hassocks doubled their lead on 39 minutes.
Gault had dropped deep to win the ball in midfield and he fed Westlake who’s shot rebounded off the post to Miles who stretched to tap in for his second goal of the season.
The second half saw Bunch booked early on for a bad tackle but the same player then nearly halved the deficit, only to be denied by an excellent Ashley Marsh block.
Jamie Weston shot over and Gault smashed wide whilst Wes Millis volleyed over for the home side. In the 85th minute it was 3-0, O’Callaghan beat the offside trap and squared it to Miles whose shot deflected off the backside of Westlake to wrong foot Buss.
In the 88th minute, Bowra was shown a straight red card for a two footed tackle on Marsh, which was a little against character for the former Hassocks defender.
That rounded off a disappointing evening for the hosts but take nothing away from Hassocks who produced a fine all round team performance from the Robins after some poor efforts of late.
With more players soon returning and Jewell said to be on the verge of making a couple more additions to his squad, hopefully this will be the confidence booster needed to start climbing the table.
Hassocks: Jack Simpson; Dan Jacques, Ashley Marsh, Stuart Faith, Chris Maynard; James Westlake, Kieran O’Callaghan, Matt Carruthers, Jamie Weston; Nathan Miles, Phil Gault.
Subs: Greg Hearne (Miles 89), Ollie Parsons (Gault 90), Sam Goodridge, Reece Wickwar (unused).
Starman: Unfair to pick out individuals on such a good team performance.
