Sussex RUR
Charity Cup 2nd Round
Saturday
31st October 2009
HALLOWEEN
HORROR SHOW FROM HASSOCKS
Hassocks
2-4 Selsey
A
catastrophic first 20 minutes on Halloween ended
any chances Hassocks had of picking up any
silverware for this season, as they exited the
RUR Charity Cup, losing 4-2 to Selsey. They
trailed 3-0 by that stage, leaving both players
and supporters flummoxed by the performance and
scoreline and although, to their credit, they
came out battling in the 2nd half and
pulled the score back to 3-2, they ultimately
paid for a poor first half showing and now only
have league points to play for – and its only
the first week in November!
Selsey
really came out of the traps fast and took the
lead inside 6 minutes, the lively Ross Woolf was
given far too much space inside the box and his
shot took a big deflection off Ashley Marsh to
send Joel Harding the wrong way. The Robins had
a chance to level things when Ross McClelland
was adjudged to have handled a back pass on the
edge of the 6 yard box but Anthony Hibbert’s
strike was charged down by the wall.
On
18 minutes, Gerald Joseph, a huge prescence of
power and pace all afternoon, nodded in at the
far post from Woolf’s cross, after Harding had
come for a cross and missed it and a minute
later he coolly lobbed Harding when Hassocks
were caught napping after losing possession from
kick off. There was a feeling of bewilderment
around the Beacon and it was nearly 4-0 when
Joseph headed just over the bar minutes later.
In the first half Hassocks rarely troubled the
Selsey defence and McClelland didn’t have a
worthwhile save to make.
However,
the second half was a different story, the
players no doubt responding to some harsh
criticism from Dave John. Phil Gault, who left
the field soon after with a thigh injury, played
in Neil Kane and his shot was saved low down by
McClelland. Dan Jacques then fired narrowly wide
from 22 yards and Daley Clark also just missed
the target with a fine strike. Kane netted from
close range on 58 minutes, following a Clark
flick on to Hibbert and moments later
Hibbert’s delightful chip from 30 yards
narrowly cleared the crossbar with McClelland
well beaten. Hibbert did find his range on 64
minutes with an exquisite curling effort into
the top corner from 25 yards and it looked as if
Hassocks could go on and at least force extra
time.
Sadly
though they seemed to take their foot off the
gas and despite plenty of endeavour, were unable
to force an equaliser, the closest effort from
the industrious Terry Gacias, who’s effort
just looped over. With 8 minutes remaining,
Gacias was harshly adjudged to have fouled
Stuart Soutar and from the resulting quick free
kick and with the Robins appealing for offside,
Joseph completed his hat-trick, drilling past
Harding from the angle. Sol Bowra should have
made it 4-3 in injury time but he blasted well
over from 6 yards and Hassock’s cup dreams in
all competitions are over for another year.
Hassocks:
Harding, Jacques, Kublickas, Marsh, Bowra,
Faith, Gacias, Clark, Hibbert, Gault, Kane
Subs:
Newington (Gault 55), I Simpson (Clark, 85),
Thompson, J Simpson (unused)
Middy
Starman – difficult choice but goes to Terry
Gacias
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