Sussex County League Division 1
Friday 4th December 2009
LAST GASP LAING NETS POINT FOR ROBINS 
Ringmer 2-2 Hassocks

(Report courtersy of Sussex Express). After the controversy of the Blues last game against table toppers Whitehawk, last night was a chance to put things right against mid table Hassocks. Back in late September Ringmer went down by three goals to nil away from home, so the reverse fixture gave the hosts a chance to redeem themselves by picking up all three points.

With the wind and rain as strong as ever, it was a miracle the game was even on at all. The pitch was boggy and the swirling rain looked to make any quick passing football impossible. But after an inspection by the referee, he agreed to let the game go ahead as long as predicted torrential downpours held off.

The game began brightly for the home side, who with use of the slope penned back their opposition for long periods. After a dominant first few minutes the Blues created their first chance when the hard-working Jo Jo Tubon found space at the near post to header narrowly over from a Ryan Macmillan cross. Minutes later some good footwork by Jayson Sowter freed up Tubon again as he span his marker to take aim, but his powerful drive was straight at away shot stopper Joel Harding.

Ringmer were piling on the pressure and on the quarter hour a direct run from Sowter resulted in a powerful 20-yard strike which skipped off the surface towards the Hassocks goal. But the impressive Harding saved well at full stretch to push the ball away for a corner. The pressure on the away side remained and after the corner was cleared, Elliott Finney picked the ball up half way inside the Hassocks half. He took a touch to the by-line before launching a looping cross into the area which inadvertently looped over Harding and into the back of the net courtesy of a glance of the post – Ronaldinho anyone? The hosts thoroughly deserved their early lead.

The goal pushed the Blues onward and after a long range shot by the away side cleared the crossbar, back came the boys with another sweeping attack. Macmillan and Sowter linked up well on the edge of the area and provided Ringmer with their next opportunity. Tubon received the ball and took aim with a left footed effort, only to find Harding equal to it at his near post.

The onslaught continued and this time produced another goal. The slick one touch football that looked impossible on this surface, was working perfectly for the home side. Darren Lok, Mark Price and Macmillan all linked well in a wonderful passage of play that saw Joe Dryer gallop through the Hassocks defence. He unleashed a trademark powerful effort that flew past the sprawling Harding and into the far corner of the net – a deserved two-nil lead for the Blues.

Still the home side were in the ascendancy and were looking for a third goal. With Joel Harding having the game of his life, it was no doubt surprising to see him make another outstanding stop. Blues winger Joe Dryer drilled an effort at goal from the edge of the area, to see it deflect into the air and loop towards the top corner of the net. A sublime diving stop by Harding was all that stood between the Blues and their third for the evening – Save of the season?

Hassocks then created their only meaningful and clear cut chance of the half. After good work by their creative midfielder Terry Gacias in releasing Phil Gault down the wing, a cross was launched in towards big target man James Laing. He half-volleyed the cross first time and saw it narrowly evade the cross bar of the Ringmer goal.

The final minutes of the first half ebbed away with little incident apart from an onslaught by the rain and, deservedly, Ringmer went in at half-time two goals to the good. It could so easily have been four or five if it wasn’t for the impressive Joel Harding in the visitor’s goal.

With conditions worsening and aiming up the slope, it was certainly going to be difficult for Munnery’s men to pick up where they left off after half-time. But with most supporters still drinking their cup of tea in the clubhouse, Hassocks pulled one back.

A deep cross seemed to hang in the air for an eternity before it came down in the Ringmer area. Gary Trott attempted to punch the ball clear with bodies all around him but failed to clear his lines efficiently. The tall figure of Phil Gaunt then crept in to bundle the ball into the goal to half the deficit for the away side. Whether or not there was a foul on Trott as he ventured for the cross was unclear but the game was well and truly alive at two-one.

The pressure was now all on Ringmer, as the slope proved to be a clear advantage for both sides. Ryan Macmillan was booked for an innocuous looking challenge and solid defending from Steve May and Kieran Mercer kept the away side’s chances at a minimum for quarter of an hour. With creative play hard to come by it was still the away side who looked the most dangerous.

The next chance of the game was the equaliser for the away side. A cross into the area by Terry Gacias was flicked goalwards by Sol Bowra. His header was saved well by Trott diving to his right. Most thought the attack was over, but the slippery ball evaded the ‘keeper as he thudded to the ground and James Laing poked the rebound home – two apiece.

The game then began to really open up, with both sides creating chances. Darren Lok was sent clean through but a heavy touch allowed Harding to clear with his feet. The ball landed straight at the feet of substitute Kieran Patel and his chip landed agonisingly on the roof of the net with the goalkeeper stranded. Daley Clark and Phil Gault went close for the away side but two solid stops by Trott kept score line level. Then in the final minute of the game a long range effort by Gault slid inches wide of the Ringmer goal with most spectators in the stand thinking it had gone in – most were happy to hear the final whistle.

An eventful game of two halves and one which Ringmer perhaps deserved to win – only a man-of-the-match performance by away goalkeeper Joel Harding could stop an impressive first half performance by the Blues. The slope proved to have a massive impact for both sides, but the amount of chances created was certainly a highlight for Ringmer and hopefully the impressive performance continues away from home against Eastbourne United on Tuesday evening