Hassocks are downed at Gatwick – but find it’s fun to stay at YMCA

Crawley Down Gatwick 1 Hassock 0

After the feast comes the famine. Since scoring seven unanswered goals past Roffey on August Bank Holiday Monday, Hassocks had failed to find the back of the net in 270 minutes of football by the end of last Saturday’s visit to Crawley Down Gatwick.

Their third successive blank was drawn in an unusually low-quality game away at Crawley Down Gatwick, settled in the final 10 minutes in favour of the Anvils when substitute Oli Leslie scrambled home the only goal.

Games between Down and the Robins are normally high-scoring, enthralling affairs.

The two clubs have swapped players frequently over the past few seasons and that has added to the intrigue.

Rather than footballing entertainment taking centre stage, the main talking point on this occasion focussed on a controversial piece of officiating early in the second half which left Hassocks incensed.

Leon Turner slipped in Pat Harding for a one-on-one with home goalkeeper Alex Bellingham, who produced a superb save low down to his right.

Ex-Anvil Phil Johnson latched onto the loose ball, only to be brought down by Bellingham.

No matter thought Hassocks when Jack Troak picked up the pieces, firing into the bottom corner of the empty net.

Then the assistant referee’s flag went up for an offside against Troak. The Robins subsequently expected referee Ian Lane to point to the spot for the foul on Johnson, which had occurred prior to the offside.

Incredibly, Mr Lane concluded Bellingham had done nothing illegal when hauling to ground his former teammate and Troak’s goal was chalked off.

Nothing worth mentioning occurred prior to that incident. The opening 45 minutes was a scrappy affair with neither side managing to string more than a couple of passes together.

Neither Alex Harris - making his 100th appearance for Hassocks - nor Bellingham had a save of any note to make.

The Robins got on top after the break via their wingers. Turner down the right was the best Hassocks player on the park with another positive performance of the sort that has made him a firm fan favourite already following his summer move from Croydon.

Troak was his usual busy self on the opposite flank. If anyone was going to break Hassocks’ scoring drought, then it looked likely to be either he or Johnson.

Shortly after the penalty offside incident and Johnson linked up beautifully with Lewis Westlake on the edge of the Down box.

The duo managed to work some space for Westlake to reach the by-line and his return pass found Johnson in a really good position. Unfortunately, Johnson’s effort could not trouble Belllingham.

Down began to get a foothold in the game following that spell of Hassocks domination.

Home man-of-the-match Michael Belli hit the bar with an outrageous strike from distance.

A couple of crosses then flashed across Harris’ goal with Hassocks lucky that no red shirt was on hand to convert.

It began to feel as the second half wore on that the tie would either finish 0-0 or be decided by a scrambled goal from a set piece.

And so it proved. Hassocks ended up being their own worst enemy when conceding an unnecessary free kick in a wide area with seven minutes remaining.

The ball was delivered to the back post, from where it was nodded back across goal.

Having failed to win the first header, the Robins also passed up the opportunity to clear at the second, third and fourth attempt.

Eventually, Leslie made them pay when smashing home at the back post, just eight minutes after he had replaced Sam Clements.

Hassocks rang the changes after that to try and elicit a response but Down saw out the short time left pretty comfortably, leaving the Robins to reflect on a missed opportunity to claim at least a point.

They could have done it with it ahead of their next two Premier Division fixtures.

Hassocks: Harris; Blake, Bygraves, B Tighe, Bull; Turner, L Westlake, Williamson, Troak; Johnson, Harding.

Subs: Broomfield (Tighe 71), J Westlake (Harding 71), Frankland (Blake 86), S Smith (Turner 90), Wilkes (unused).

Horsham YMCA 2 Hassocks 4

Before Hassocks arrived at the Herbert Direct Stadium, Horsham YMCA had seven clean sheets from 10 games in all competitions to their name. They were yet to concede a home goal in the Southern Combination League.

The Robins in contrast had gone more than 270 minutes without scoring, a run stretching back almost a month to August Bank Holiday Monday. Three defeats in a row had been the result of this famine in front of goal.

Seasoned Hassocks observers would not have been surprised by what their club famous for its Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde ability of veering from the good to the bad and back again did next.

Four goals plundered in little over an hour gave the Robins a superb 4-2 win over a side who had began the evening sat third in the Premier Division table.

Not only that, but it was just the fourth league victory Hassocks have recorded away at YMCA since the turn of the millennium. Some style for the Robins to end their scoring drought in.

Hassocks started well and might have had a penalty within the opening five minutes. Johnson was brought down in a wide position perilously close to the edge of the area.

The assistant referee seemed to believe it was inside the box. Referee Paddy O’Reilly did not agree however and instead awarded a free kick which the Robins made little of.

YM took the lead on 13 minutes against the run of play. A Robins throw was won in the air by Harry Law. The ball fell to Archie Goodard who hit a looping volley on the turn from 25 yards over the head of the stranded Alex Harris.

That goal started a breathless period of end-to-end football. Four minutes later and Hassocks equalised, Lewis Westlake and Jack Troak combining to release Raging Joe Bull on an overlap from left back.

Bull crossed low and hard and after a series of ricochets in the box, the ball was eventually fired into the back of the YM net by Leon Turner.

Hassocks took the lead seven minutes later with a goal born out of determination from the men in blue and man-of-the-match Mike Willamson in particular.

The Robins won three 50-50 challenges in quick succession, eventually leading possession to Troak out on the left.

His deep cross from was met by an unreal diving header 18 yards out from Phil Johnson, giving Aaron Jeal no chance.

The confidence those two goals gave Hassocks was obvious. Another great cross from Troak required Jeal to make a good stop after ex-Robin Josh Tuck nearly turned the ball past his own goalkeeper.

Turner then cut inside and unleashed an effort from 25 yards which whistled just the wrong side of the post.

A tight but correct offside decision went against Troak on 36 minutes followed 120 seconds later by Hassocks adding their third.

Williamson won possession when a YM passing move broke down. He and midfield partner Westlake managed to find Benson, whose left footed cross was volleyed home by Johnson from eight yards.

YM were incensed as they felt Johnson had used a hand. Neither referee nor assistant spotted anything untoward and so Johnson had his second goal of the evening against his former club.

The hosts nearly pulled one back on the stroke of half time. Harris was relieved to see a cross-shot smack against the upright before being cleared away by Alex Bygraves.

It was a warning sign Hassocks should have paid more attention to. Within five minutes of the restart, YM cut Hassocks’ lead to one via another former Robin, Ben Bacon.

Tuck launched a long ball forward flicked on by Bacon. Goddard did superbly to latch onto the flick, beat three challenges from Robins players and return the ball to Bacon who converted on the slide.

Captain Westlake was forced off injured on the hour mark. Head coach and brother James Westlake was bold in his replacement, throwing on tall striker Jamie Wilkes.

Hassocks wanted a fourth rather than sitting back and attempting to hold onto their one-goal lead.

The plan worked to perfection when the Robins scored again on 79 minutes. A through ball sent Johnson away and he was hauled down by Jeal, leading Mr O’Reilly to point to the spot.

YM were again left fuming with the officials, believing Johnson to have been offside. A lengthy delay ensured whilst protests were lodged.

Despite the commotion, Troak confidently beat Jeal from 12 yards with a penalty nearly as cool as the all-blue suit - think Trigger when he falls through the bar in Only Fools & Horses - Troak turned up to Gorings Mead wearing.

An already fiery game became more ill-tempered following Troak’s spot kick. That suited Hassocks, especially when Bacon entered the sin bin with five minutes remaining - time which the Robins easily navigated for a famous win.

Hassocks: Harris; Blake, Bygraves, B Tighe, Bull; Turner, L Westlake, Williamson, Troak; Johnson, Benson.

Subs: Wilkes (L Westlake 60), Harding (Benson 75), Frankland (Turner 85), Broomfield, J Westlake (unused).