SPARE
a thought for Hassocks manager Dave John. Not
only has a virus laid him low and forced him
to miss the last two matches but news of the
latest depressing defeat will surely do little
to speed his recovery. He was not the only
poorly one for on a bitterly cold afternoon at
Jubilee Field on Saturday the visitors were
laid low by a Bridges side who unveiled their
new star signing, Lee Carney from Horsham.
Carney
was a class apart and his two second half
goals gave the Robins scant reward for what
was at least a spirited showing after the
break when they even managed to produce the
occasional flash of the neat football that
delighted their fans earlier in the season.
But Bridges looked capable of scoring
virtually every time they attacked and had it
not been for some fine saves by Joel Harding,
the scoreline would have been even more
embarrassing for a team who were dead and
buried before half time.
It
seemed Hassocks arrived with a game plan but
they did not appear particularly at ease with
it and none more so than skipper Ashley Marsh,
who switched from central defence to left
back. But in fairness, the decision to play
only four instead of the more customary five
across the back was not helped when in the
opening minutes there was a knock to the head
for Peter Lear, one of their most reliable
defenders in recent seasons although making
only his second senior outing of the season.
He finally departed the action in a somewhat
dazed state on 26 minutes after his team had
just gone 2-0 down. James Laing replaced him
but was given his more usual role up front,
while Spencer Slaughter was pulled back into
central defence and Daly Clark into midfield.
Clearly
the visitors were in more disarray than they
were at the start and seven minutes later they
were 4-0 down.
With Carney pulling the strings in midfield,
Bridges were a much, much better side than
their starting position would indicate but in
the first 45 minutes Hassocks were an easy
touch. The first goal after only seven minutes
was the softest of efforts as a long throw was
flicked on to leave Elliott Romain a simple
chance at the far post.
Phil Gault went close at the other end on 26
minutes but immediately Hassocks conceded
another poor goal as the defence parted for
Carney to take his chance well and launch a
debut hat-trick.Two minutes later Hassocks
seemed doubly unlucky, however, as a foul on
Marsh went unnoticed and then when his poor
clearance was returned into the box, big
George Hillier looked suspiciously offside as
he scored from close range.
There
was an air of inevitability about the fourth
goal five minutes later as Hillier sent a
set-piece glancing header neatly inside
Harding's righthand post. Just before half
time only a post denied Hillier another
although Anthony Hibbert did pull a save out
of home keeper Mark Fox, who impressed in what
he had to do. Hassocks salvaged a little pride
in the second half and could have claimed a
consolation goal on several occasions either
side of Carney's second goal, an individual
effort midway through after a poor clearance
by Harding.
The
visiting keeper spared his side any further
blushes with a couple of excellent saves and
deserved to avoid what would have been an
unfortunate dismissal when he pulled down sub
Jack McNab just as the game entered stoppage
time. Referee John Pike consulted a linesman
before deciding a yellow card was sufficient
punishment and then supervising the penalty
that Carney converted to complete his
hat-trick. Not the start to the new year
Hassocks or Johnsy would have wanted and they
will need to get back on track quickly if they
are not to be sucked down into murky
relegation waters.
Hassocks:
Harding; Jacques, Lear, Bowra, Marsh; Gacias,
Slaughter, Hibbert; Gault; Clark, Kane.
Subs:
Laing (Lear, 26), Kublickas & Miles
(Clarke & Kane, 70).
Middy
Starman: Not awarded.
