Hassocks set up a plum
home tie with Bognor Regis Town after a
comfortable 5-0 win at second division Bexhill
United. Probably for the first time this
season, the Robins did not look in any danger of
losing the game and John Suter and Mickey Jewell
must have been pleased with a fine all round
performance and in particular five different
scorers and a clean sheet.
To be fair the
first 40 or so minutes was pretty even, with both
sides giving the ball away to each other with
alarming regularity. Simon Bristow partnered James
Laing up front and his angle shot flew wide after
just 5 minutes. At the other end Jack Aston lashed
a shot wide before Ashley Marsh found himself in
very unfamiliar territory in front of the opposing
goal after Laing played him in. Marsh appeared to
get a "nosebleed" and squared it, when
the best option was a strike on goal but he can be
forgiven after a record of 1 goal in 170
appearances!
Bristow, who had
been one of the main culprits in handing
possession to Bexhill on several occasions, gave
the Robins the lead on 38 minutes, his tame effort
from 25 yards somehow eluded the grasp of Akyut
Kusha in the home goal and the ball trickled
agonisingly over the line.
Matt Russell
replaced the injured Laing at the interval and
Hassocks took the game by the scruff of the neck.
They doubled the lead on 59 minutes. Dan Jacques,
who had another promising game at right wing back,
found himself in an advanced position but he
scuffed his shot, but it somehow went through the
home defence and found Russell, who slotted home
at the second attempt. Matt Percival was just over
with a dipping volley and Bristow failed to clear
Kusha with an attempted lob when one on one with
the keeper.
Matt Amos and
Anthony Hibbert replaced Bristow and Percival on
67, Russell fired wide and Bexhill sub Ricky Mote
missed their clearest chance, smashing over the
bar from 12 yards.
Jamie Hillwood
netted the 3rd for Hassocks on 80 minutes with a
superb individual run that started in his own half
and ended with him going round the home keeper and
tucking home. Russell hit the post from a yard
after an Amos cross, with Spencer Slaughter ending
a fine move involving Hibbert, Russell and Amos
with a neat finish on 87. Hassocks rounded off
things in injury time, Hibbert placing a neat
finish wide of Kusha from the edge of the box,
after a good lay off by Amos.
Hassocks certainly
learnt their lessons after losing to Rustington
and can hopefully now look forward to a good crowd
when Bognor visit the Beacon on 28th October.
Hassocks - Simpson, Jacques, Marsh, Pitcher,
Faith, White, Percival (Hibbert 67), Slaughter,
Bristow (Amos 67) Laing (Russell 45) Hillwood
Unused sub -
Thompson
Starman - Good all-round
team performance but just goes to Dan Jacques for
another solid display
