CONCERN FOR HASSOCKS AS HARDING HOBBLES OFF IN DEFEAT AT ARUNDEL
The problems are stacking up for Hassocks. A 2-0 defeat at Arundel extended their desperate away form this season to one point from a possible 18 in what was another below bar performance which continues their slide down the Division table.
More concerning for Dave John than results at the minute though is the Robins’ injury list, which is growing by the week.
Long-term absentee Joe Fernley has been joined by Stuart Faith (ankle) and James Laing (thigh) in the treatment room with Johnsy unable to put any sort of timeframe on when those three will be back.
The last thing Hassocks needed at Mill Road was their top scorer and talisman Pat Harding limping off with a groin problem after only 21 minutes.
Veteran Mickey Turner did not last the 90 either, departing with 10 minutes remaining with a knee complaint. Rather than fulfilling his normal right wing back role, Turner had been used alongside Harding as an emergency striker – a sign of Hassocks’ lack of options in the forward department.
And both Anthony Hibbert and Graham Beveridge struggled through groin and calf problems respectively which, had Hassocks had more options available to them, would have ruled them out under normal circumstances.
Unsurprisingly, Hassocks looked woefully short of firepower without Harding and Laing, who have plundered 24 goals between so far this season.
Arundel nearly took the lead as early as the fourth minute but Joel Harding pulled off an unreal save from point blank range to somehow keep out Rob Grove’s header.
Entertainment was in short supply as both teams struggled to create chances on a heavy surface. The closest Hassocks came was when Beveridge met a Turner cross with a fine header which needed to be clawed out by Arundel goalkeeper Ben O’Connor, who enjoyed a relatively quiet afternoon.
Arundel took the lead with four minutes of the first half remaining and there was more than air of controversy about the goal.
Chris Hewitt was adjudged to have fouled Grove out wide on the left flank. The general consensus amongst most of the crowd was that it was barely a foul, so there was astonishment all round when the Hassocks skipper was shown a yellow card.
Nearly as criminal as the decision to book Hewitt was the Robins’ marking from the resulting free kick. The ball was floated to the back post, where they had left Barry Pidgeon free to take flight and head home unmarked past Harding.
Hassocks enjoyed their best spell at the start of the second half but for all their dominance of possession, they struggled to break down a resolute Mullets defence.
Richard Thompson tested O’Connor with a shot from distance. A magical pass from Andy Fisk then found Ashley Low in the box and although Low did well to work some space, he shot weakly at the Arundel goalkeeper.
A rare attack from the Mullets saw Miles Scerri embark on a terrific run, evading challenges from Tom Stripp and Hewitt but delaying his shot and allowing the covering Nick Newman to clear.
Ian Dawson replaced Stripp on 68 minutes and it was Dawson’s mistake on 75 that ended the match as a contest. He completely missed his clearance on the half way line, allowing Andy Boxall to scamper down the right and centre for Scerri to volley home.
Harding prevented Jason Wimbleton adding a third, followed by Hassocks passing up two good opportunities to claim a consolation in the final five minutes.
Hibbert fired over with a trademark long range effort and Brendan Leahy and Hibbert combined well to send 16-year-old substitute Sam Fisk through but Fisk could only blaze over from 18 yards.
The result meant that Arundel leapfrogged Hassocks and gives John plenty to ponder ahead of a trip to Southwick next week.
Hassocks: Joel Harding; Ashley Low, Tom Stripp, Chris Hewitt, Nick Newman, Richard Thompson; Graham Beveridge, Andy Fisk, Anthony Hibbert; Mickey Turner, Pat Harding.
Subs: Brendan Leahy (Harding 21), Ian Dawson (Stripp 68), Sam Fisk (Turner 80).
