Sussex County
League Division 1
Tuesday
25th
August
2009
ROBINS
WELL BEATEN
Crawley
Down 2-1 Hassocks
Hassocks can have
few complaints about this defeat at the home of
Division One new boys Crawley Down on Tuesday,
when only wayward finishing and some fine
goalkeeping from Joel Harding prevented a
heavier defeat. Robins struggled against the
strength and pace of Tony Reid, sub Nick
Sullivan and in particular Crawley Town loanee
Aaron Watson. Watson was pacy, full of tricks
and could have netted a hatful with more
composure in front of goal.
The hosts could
have been 2-0 up inside the first three minutes
but Neil Kane failed to seriously test Down
keeper Shayne Goldsmith from a good chance on 15
minutes before almost immediately the opening
goal came at the opposite end.
Terry Gacias fell
over the ball in midfield and when play as
switched, Watson cut in-side from 10 yards and
drilled his shot past Harding. Sam Cane was
denied by Harding before leaving the field with
a facial injury and the visiting keeper also
pulled off a brilliant one handed save from a
Tom Familton header.
There were plenty
of other good saves and bad misses by Down in
the first half before Hassocks improved after
the break, in response to a tongue lashing from
Dave John. But it still needed Harding once
again to come to the rescue, denying Reid twice.
Stuart Faith also cleared a Danny Baker effort
off the line before the visitors stunned the
home crowd with a brilliant equaliser on 63
minutes.
Daley Clark was
fouled on the edge of the box, and Anthony
Hibbert curled an exquisite free kick into the
top corner. Watson played further efforts wide
and Gacias fired an effort over the bar at the
other end before Down finally grabbed a deserved
winner on 87 minutes when Watson's excellent
cross was turned in by Sullivan from six yards
to give his side their first win in the top
flight
Hassocks:
Harding, Kublickas, Thompson, Marsh, Bowra,
Faith; Gacias, Slaughter, Hibbert; Clark, Kane
Subs: Jacques
(Slaughter 70), Thomas (Kane 75), Barnes, Gander
(unused)
Starman: Joel
Harding
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