Robins win big against Rangers to put one step in the semi finals
Mid Sussex bragging rights went the way of Hassocks Under 18s and in some style too as the Robins hammered local rivals St Francis Rangers 6-1 at Colwell Road to get their Southern Combination Supplementary Shield campaign back on track.
Brad Sweetman’s side had been held 2-2 by Horsham YMCA a week ago, a potentially damaging blow to their hopes of progressing to the semi finals of the competition with only each group winner going through.
How important both this victory over Rangers and the margin of it were became clear after the full time whistle. Whilst Hassocks were winning at the Hospital, YM beat Alfold 5-0 at the Elliot Scott Group Stadium in their last game of the group stage.
That leaves YM top of the table by three points ahead of Hassocks’ trip to Saltdean United next weekend. The Robins and YM both have a plus seven goal difference, meaning that victory for Hassocks at Hill Park will take them through to a big semi.
The Robins made two changes from the side held at Gorings Mead. Alex Crawford was ruled out through injury and Daniel Llewellyn dropped to the bench with their places taken by Sam Geard and Charlie Jones.
Whereas Hassocks had a near-full strength side to choose from, Rangers were struggling for numbers and ended up with only 11 players.
That helped the Robins cause a little, especially when you consider that Rangers had lost only once in the regular North Division season prior to curtailment. Had the hosts been able to muster stronger numbers, they may have given Hassocks more of a game.
Rangers still would have had to find a way to cope with George Mitchell-Phillips, mind. The Lewes striker has signed on at the Beacon for the Supplementary Shield and he was in irresistible form at Colwell Road, hitting a hat-trick to take his tally in a Hassocks shirt to five goals in three games.
Lewis Beebee and Sam Geard were also in the goals again with one apiece. The duo notched braces for the Under 23s on Thursday night in a highly impressive 5-1 win over a Horsham YMCA outfit who had been leading the Under 23 North Division before the campaign was brought to a close by the winter lockdown.
Luke Marshall also notched in that victory at YM, meaning that all the goals for the Under 23s were scored by Under 18s. In case you did not realise, the future looks very bright right now at the Beacon.
Hassocks’ sixth goal against Rangers arrived from the substitutes bench as Archie Messent rounded off the scoring via his fourth of the season, setting the Robins up perfectly for the deciding tie at Saltdean. Rangers’ consolation was from Guy Underwood.
Hassocks: Jayden Dunkley, Jack Gardner, Charlie Jones, Luke Marshall, Sam Geard, Kobe Dersley, Archie Russell, Cody Craig, George Mitchell-Phillips, Alfie Loversidge Lewis Beebee.
Subs: Daniel Llewellyn, Louis Thwaites, Josh Sprigg, Archie Messent (used).
