FA Challenge Cup - Extra Preliminary Round
Saturday 16^th August 2008
WOEFUL ROBINS OUT WITH A WHIMPER
Hassocks 0-1 Shoreham

This woeful performance and resulting exit from this season’s exit from the FA Cup, capped a bad week for the Robins. They had to switch this game to Culver Road, Lancing, as heavy midweek rain opened up drainage slits on the surface of the Beacon playing surface, leaving the pitch unplayable. As well as the 1-0 loss, Hassocks ended the game with 10 men, Ali Russell being shown a straight red by referee Mr Flynn after an alleged stamp on Owen Callaghan. There were conflicting views on the sending off, some spectators saying that it wasn’t intentional after he himself was fouled, whilst the Shoreham bench were quick to berate Russell after the incident.

With Peter Lear unavailable, Phil Fitzgerald made his first Hassocks appearance at the heart of the Robins defence and Spencer Slaughter was again used as a striker alongside Russell. The game itself was a dour affair with goalmouth action at a premium all afternoon – hardly surprising as the sides drew both league encounters last term. Hassocks were not at the races and the sharpness of passing and attacking qualities shown at Hailsham earlier in the week were sadly non-existent. This particular afternoon they didn’t trouble Michael Hunter in the Shoreham goal at all.

Shoreham scored the winning goal on 20 minutes, Dean Smith flicking on an up field clearance into the path of Neil Kane, who outpaced the Robins defence before coolly slotting past Paul Williams in the Hassocks goal. Twice before the interval, Shoreham defender Lee Denyer went close, firstly with a well struck free kick that Williams handled well down to his right and then with a header which just flashed wide. The visitors also had a good shout for a penalty when it appeared that James Bird had handled a Dan Taylor cross but the referee waved away the claims. Jamie Hillwood flashed a wild effort wide in Hassocks’ only meaningful foray into the Shoreham area, as the Blues deservedly led at the interval.

Anthony Hibbert and Fitzgerald were both booked for tackles and once Russell was sent off, it was always going to be an uphill struggle for Hassocks against a defence well marshalled by Matt Hurley and Lee Denyer. Even when Hassocks brought Matt Amos, Laurence Robinson and James Laing on, they rarely threatened, with the best effort coming from Amos’s speculative overhead kick on 87 minutes which went wide of the post.

A very disappointing performance and outcome for Hassocks, who missed the chance of a £750 win bonus and more importantly a home tie against Kingstonian in the next round.

Hassocks; Williams, Percival (Laing 76), Hillwood, Marsh, Fitzgerald, White, Bird, Hibbert (Robinson 70), Russell, Slaughter, McKenzie (Amos 60)

Unused subs – Thompson, J Simpson

Man of the Match – not awarded – the whole team were well below par