HILLWOOD AND HIBBERT SECURE ROUTINE ROBINS WIN TO CONTINUE EXCELLENT START
Proceedings at the Beacon were as comfortable as they should have been for Hassocks, who maintained second place in the County League with a routine 3-0 victory over basement boys Worthing United.
A brace from Jamie Hillwood and an Anthony Hibbert goal ensured that Mickey Jewell’s side picked up another three points in what is fast becoming an excellent start to the campaign.
It says much about the depth available to Jewell that when last week’s hat-trick hero Nathan Miles hobbled off with a knee problem after only seven minutes, Hassocks were able to introduce Hillwood who would go onto torment the Mavericks all afternoon.
The Robins carved out enough chances to win several games of football. United were spared an even bigger humbling because of a poor final ball and a lack of composure in front of goal from the hosts.
Even before Miles departed, Hassocks should have been 1-0 ahead. Phil Johnson rounded United goalkeeper Steve Allfrey but then could only hit the side netting with the goal gaping.
Allfrey had a fine game, another reason why Hassocks did not rack up six or seven. He denied Johnson and the industrious Jamie Ingham from close range inside the opening 15 minutes but probably would have been disappointed not to have done better with Hillwood’s opener.
That arrived with 19 on the clock from a lob which initially appeared to lack the height needed to beat Allfrey after Hillwood had sprung the offside trap from Anthony Hibbert’s excellent diagonal pass.
Johnson was having one of those games and twice more he found himself in good positions but failed to hit the target.
Phil Gault also squandered two decent opportunities, both headers. The first went over the bar and the second was hooked off the line in impressive fashion by Ryan Storrie who, despite the final score, dealt well with Gault for most of the 90 minutes.
A rare foray forward from United saw Jack Simpson called into a full length save from Sam Blundell. Allfrey was then forced into action again, parrying away a fierce Hibbert drive before saving with his feet from Johnson.
Half time arrived and with the score only 1-0, the minds of Hassocks fans might have drifted back to the Ringmer game a fortnight earlier.
On that occasion, the Robins squandered countless opportunities in the first half and paid the price in the second, succumbing to a 5-2 defeat.
History might well have repeated itself if United had made the most of their best spell of the game which came immediately after the break.
Blundell fired an effort wide and Dan Turner nearly a capped a lively midfield performance with a goal, only to see Simpson equal to his shot from distance.
Hassocks managed to reassert themselves after weathering the storm and Nathan Cooper shot wide from Gault’s lay off. Johnson departed the action on the hour mark when he hurt a knee colliding with Allfrey.
His place was taken by Lee Cooper who nearly marked his return from Crawley Down Gatwick with a goal, firing over twice from long range.
Hassocks eventually got their second on 65 minutes, Hillwood bundling home a Hibbert corner at the far post. That seemed to deflate United and the Robins poured forward at will looking for a third to well and truly kill the tie off.
Gault was denied by Allfrey but there was nothing the United goalkeeper could do when Nick Pitcher’s brilliant long ball out of defence was latched onto by Hibbert, who rounded Allfrey and rolled into the empty net with five minutes remaining.
Hassocks have a break from league action next week as they travel to Chessington & Hook of the Combined Counties League in the first round of the FA Vase.
Jewell could offer no update afterwards on whether Miles and Johnson would make it, leaving Hassocks to sweat on the fitness of their two young goal-getters.
Hassocks: Jack Simpson; Rob South, Ashley Marsh, Nick Pitcher, Chris Maynard; Jamie Ingham, Anthony Hibbert, Nathan Cooper, Phil Johnson; Nathan Miles, Phil Gault.
Subs: Jamie Hillwood (Miles 7), Tom Davess (Maynard 53), Lee Cooper (Johnson 60), Lee Bryant, Alex Harris (unused).
Starman: Anthony Hibbert for his two assists and goal, was always in the thick of the action.
