Premier Division safety was all-but assured and a big semi booked in most successful month of the campaign
March proved to be the most successful month of the 2021-22 season for Hassocks as they all-but secured Premier Division safety with four games still to play and booked a first Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup semi final appearance in 10 years.
A trip to Horsham YMCA kicked things off, where the Robins suffered their only defeat from five March outings thanks to the efforts of home goalkeeper Aaron Jeal.
Jeal pulled off two unbelievable saves, one per half from James Westlake and Lewis Westlake along with a string of other important stops to single-handedly keep Hassocks at bay.
That meant that Dan Lombardo’s second minute strike decided the tie in YM’s favour. The Robins allowed the dangerous Tom Tolfrey to collect a throw unchallenged from the right, turn and cross low into the box. Lombardo was on hand to finish crisply past Alex Harris at the back post.
East Preston at home gave Hassocks the chance to exorcise the demons from one of the worst afternoons the Robins have endured in recent memory.
Hassocks had been hammered 4-1 at the Lashmar back in November, the only win rock-bottom EP managed all season.
Three points for the Robins would not only banish those painful memories, but take them a big step closer to mathematically guaranteeing they could not join their visitors in finishing in the bottom two.
For the first half, it looked like EP might cause further problems for Hassocks. The sides went into the interval locked at 2-2 before the Robins pulled away, scoring three times after the break for what was a comfortable 5-2 success in the end.
The two goals EP managed were given away cheaply by Hassocks. Dave Haider was the first visiting player to take advantage when handing EP a shock lead after 21 minutes.
Jack Troak levelled 11 minutes later when EP goalkeeper Gentjan Poda was hesitant in dealing with a back pass, allowing Troak to put his speed to good use to chase down and tackle Poda and roll into an empty net.
Parity lasted all of one minute. Dan Turner produced a comedy own goal when sliding in to turn a low Carl Brown cross past Harris.
Troak again hauled his side level, beating Poda to a Lewis Westlake corner from out on the left to head home five minutes before half time.
Brad Sweetman pushed more players forward in the second half in support of Alfie Loversidge. The positive tactical adjustment was rewarded with a much improved second 45 minutes.
Hassocks went ahead for the first time just before the hour mark. Troak broke down the left and his pull back fell to Loversidge who squeezed the ball past Poda.
Lewis Westlake made it four when beating Poda from a direct free kick and substitute Joe Bull completed the scoring in injury time.
Jack Baden had enjoyed an excellent afternoon overlapping up the flank from left back. His cross into the danger area was converted by rampaging Bull from two yards out.
Next came a trip to Division One promotion hopefuls Seaford Town in the quarter finals of the RUR Cup. The draw had originally given Hassocks a home tie but two Beacon postponements meant that it was switched to the Crouch, as per competition rules.
That made the task facing the Robins a little harder against opponents full of confidence, enjoying their best season for 25 years and who had already eliminated Premier Division Broadbridge Heath and Isthmian League Lancing to reach the last eight.
None of that seemed to bother Troak however, who scored both the goals in a 2-0 win as Hassocks made it through a senior football semi final for just the fifth time in their history.
A confidently despatched Troak penalty gave the Robins the lead after Josh Short had been scythed down in the area.
Troak’s second came perfectly timed two minutes before the break when he poked home a Lewis Westlake cross from close range.
Bradley Tighe saw red against his former club three minutes after the break for appearing to flick the back of Alex Saunders’ head in an off-the-ball-incident.
Sam Smith dropped from his strikers role back into defence to fill the gap left by Tighe at centre back. He was superb alongside Baden, Turner and Arthur Rawlingson as the back four snuffed out every attempt Seaford made to get back into the tie, resulting in a thoroughly professional performance and outcome for the Robins.
The belief garnered from that win at the Crouch was carried into the trip to Nyetimber Lane four days later, where Hassocks won away at Pagham for only the fifth time in 40 years.
Short scored the goal in the 1-0 victory with a classic poacher’s finish for his ninth of the season. Baden released Troak down the left and his cross was met by Smith drawing a superb save from Lions goalkeeper Lewis Broughton.
Unfortunately for Broughton, Short reacted quicker than any Pagham playing and fired home the loose ball to secure another three points.
An even more impressive result concluded March when Hassocks went to Fort Road and put a serious dent in the title hopes of Newhaven by holding the Dockers to a 1-1 draw.
A bumper crowd of 287 turned up on Non League Day and most would have been expecting a Newhaven win to keep the pressure on Littlehampton Town and Saltdean United in the race for first place.
Instead, they saw a dogged Hassocks performance earn a deserved point for the Robins to take back to Mid Sussex.
Both goals involved some questionable acting 24 hours before the Oscars took place in the United States. Newhaven were given the chance to take the lead when Lee Robinson threw himself to ground on the edge of the Hassocks box two minutes before half time.
The Robins were incensed when referee Daniel Jeffrey was conned by the dive. Their anger deepened as unconvincing defending from the resulting free kick eventually led to Lucas Franzen-Jones bundling the ball home.
120 seconds later and an even more piece of questionable acting from Baden earned Hassocks a penalty. The left back found himself with possession in the Newhaven box, at which point he went down as if shot by a sniper positioned up at Newhaven Fort. Incredibly, Mr Jeffrey pointed to the spot and Troak converted.
Newhaven’s starting XI contained a front three in Franzen-Jones, Robinson and Alfie Rogers who had plundered 67 goals between them.
For a Hassocks back four in which no player was over the age of 21 to restrict such an array of attacking talent to only one goal was a real feather in the Robins’ cap.
The first team were not the only Hassocks side picking up impressive results throughout March. In the quarter finals of the Under 23 League Cup, the Robins were drawn away at undefeated North Division champions Broadbridge Heath.
Having finished a distant second to the Bears in the league, Hassocks upset the apple cart by eliminating the title winners.
Conor Smith gave Heath a first half lead, cancelled out by Luke Marshall with 20 minutes to play. That goal set up a grandstand finish, Lewis Croal thinking he had won it for the hosts only for Jordan Badger to produce a second Hassocks equaliser in the 92nd minute.
The tie therefore had to be decided on penalties. Hassocks were spot on, converting all three of the penalties they were required to take.
Heath hit the post with their first, the bar with their second and then Jayden Dunkley kept out the third as the Robins won the shootout 3-0.
Hassocks returned to High Wood Hill Sports Ground for the semi final against Alfold. The Robins had finished two places and seven points ahead of Fold in the North Division but league standings went out the window as both sides included a number of young first team players eligible for Under 23s football in an attempt to make it through to the final.
The Robins never really got going and ended up on the end of a 2-1 defeat. Charlie Martin scored in either half for Alfold with Turner equalising for Hassocks on the stroke of half time.
Alfold would go onto win the trophy, beating Eastbourne Town on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Middle Road in the April final.
The Veterans confirmed top spot in Group B of the Mid Sussex Fred Pretty Plate by winning 7-0 against Furnace Green Rovers under the Monday Night lights at the Beacon in their only March fixture.
Steve Spies strengthened his position at the top of the scoring charts with a hat-trick. Jonathan Bundy added two more and Adam Waller rounded off the rout.
The Ladies second half of the season improvement continued as they won three out of three in March, scoring 21 times along the way.
A 6-4 win away at Worthing Town started the month. Katherine Chappell began a rich vein of goal scoring form with a brace. Jess Craig also bagged a double along with strikes from Jodie Johanson and Tallie Bright.
Having lost against Roffey in the Premier Division a fortnight earlier, Hassocks gained their revenge by beating the Boars 4-1 at the Beacon to move into the semi finals of the Sussex Women’s League Cup. Chappell grabbed another two. Emma Flin and Kirstin Mair confirmed the Robins safe passage.
March was completed with an 11-0 hammering of Eastbourne Town for the Ladies’ biggest win of the campaign.
Chappell had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, scoring four times. Craig, Mair and Johanson all completed braces and a rare goal from Claire Stevens completed the scoring.
