Three goal Josh the star of a fruitful January for the Robins
Throughout the 2021-22 season, Josh Short has always been the bridesmaid but never the bride in Hassocks’ Player of the Month polls.
Well, not anymore. The forward has finally won a richly-deserved award, being voted January Player of the Month ahead of Dan Turner and Jack Troak.
The Robins won two, drew one and lost two oin the opening month of 2022, picking up vital points in the battle to avoid relegation from the Premier Division as well as progressing to the quarter finals of the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup.
Short was central to all that, notching three times to close in on Alfie Loversidge at the top of the Hassocks scoring charts.
His month began in fine fashion with a goal inside of nine minutes in the 2-1 win away at Lingfield on Monday 3rd January.
James Westlake slipped Short in one-on-one and he produced a clinical finish with the inside of his boot past Lingers goalkeeper Johnny Thurbin.
Short was also involved in the second Hassocks goal, leading the home defence on a merry dance before delivering a low cross into the box.
Loversidge was set to pull the trigger when he was unceremoniously scythed down by a Lingfield defender just as he was about to pull trigger. Troak duly converted the penalty.
Having dominated that game, the Robins had to show different qualities when making the trip to Little Common for the Green Lane Boys’ first home match at their Recreation Ground home for four years.
It finished 2-2, Hassocks twice coming from behind to ruin the party. Short got the second equaliser, hitting a low drive from 25 yards which found the bottom corner.
Short’s third and final goal of the month came 60 seconds into the second of half of the 4-1 home defeat to Bexhill United, making it 1-1 at the time.
Runner up in January Player of the Month Turner departed shortly after Short’s goal with injury. Three quickfire goals from the Pirates to sink Hassocks’ hopes of a point once Turner had been carried off sum up how important his performances at centre back have been to the Robins’ recent revival.
Hassocks conceded only six times in five games with Turner on the pitch, despite facing some quality strikers including Lewis Hole of Little Common and a certain Charlie Pitcher, who failed to score for Crawley Down Gatwick in the RUR Cup.
The Robins’ star man in that game against the Anvils was Captain Troak, who got both the goals in extra time as the Robins flew through via a shock 2-1 win.
He was also on target from the penalty spot with what proved to be the winner against Lingfield whilst he too was sorely missed after leaving the Bexhill game at half time.
Troak’s performances in January have served as a reminder of the quality he brings after an injury-hit first five months of the season in which he was restricted to only a handful of appearances.
