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Sussex RUR Charity Cup Quarter Final
Saturday
29th
December
2007
INJURY TIME
HEARTBREAK FOR ROBINS
Rye United 2-1
Hassocks
A
goal in the 5th minute of stoppage time by Duncan
McArthur condemned Hassocks to yet another quarter final defeat
in a tense affair at Rye United. The Robins will be kicking
themselves again after missing a great opportunity to reach
their first ever senior final, with Selsey, who they had already
beaten 3 times this season, waiting in the semi-final.
With
a fierce wind blowing and on a difficult and heavy surface,
which hadn’t been rolled after the Boxing Day match against
Sidley, both sides struggled to get the ball down and play.
However, Hassocks will feel they should have gone in at the
interval a couple of goals ahead after kicking with the wind.
With Matt Robbins on holiday and Phil Gault suffering from flu,
Laurence Robinson and Matt Amos were paired up front, with both
youngsters missing good chances. Robinson was denied by the legs
of veteran keeper Kusha Movaffagh and then Amos forced a good
save low down. Robinson then rounded Movaffagh after being
played in by Anthony Hibbert but his shot was cleared off the
line. Amos and Shaun Loft were both booked for pressing
foreheads together, as was Ricky Martin for a reckless tackle on
Robinson. Stuart Faith had a looping header parried wide and
Robinson had another effort deflected just wide. Rye seemed
happy to sit back and try their luck with the wind in the second
period and this was a fruitful tactic.
On
49 minutes, McArthur strode through from midfield but was denied
by Joel Harding but 3 minutes later a long ball caught Hassocks
out and Justin Jirbandy held off Richard Thompson to strike home
from 12 yards to give the home side the lead. Hassocks then
struggled for the next 15 minutes as Rye came at them but had a
great chance to equalise on 61 minutes, Sam Fisk shooting well
wide after beating the Rye offside trap. The key moment of the
match came on 70 minutes. Robinson raced clear with just
Movaffagh to beat, slid the ball past the keeper, only to be
cynically upended outside the box. A free kick was given but
unbelievably referee Myers only produced a yellow card instead
of the mandatory red. With no keeper on the bench it was a huge
break for Rye and one which incensed Dave John and the
travelling Hassocks contingent. James Laing replaced Matt Amos
and on 80 minutes he gave the Robins a lifeline hooking in
acrobatically from Hibbert’s flick on from a Fisk throw. On 86
minutes Robinson had the chance to win the game, when he found
himself clear and round Movaffagh but once again his effort was
scrambled clear off the line. Deep in stoppage time, Robinson
hooked the ball over the head of Peter Harper and was maruading
in towards goal but he was stopped by the flag of the assistant
referee who hauled play back for a tug on the shirt by Robinson.
The free kick was thumped in to the box and when the ball broke
free McArthur scuffed home an effort from 10 yards to send Rye
through and Hassocks away heartbroken.
Team; Harding,
Turner (Bates 75), Thompson, Marsh, Lear, Faith, Fisk,
Slaughter, Hibbert, Amos (Laing 73), Robinson
Subs: Laing
(Amos 73), Bates (Turner 75), Ingham, Williams, Gander (unused)
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