Hassocks’ good run ends at TheOval
Eastb’ne Utd 1 Hassocks 0 SCFL premier
Eastbourne United has not been the happiest of hunting grounds for Hassocks in recent times and their 2022 visit went to form as they suffered a 1-0 reversal at the Oval.
Home captain Charlie Ball scored the only goal of the game midway through the first half with what was one of the few moments of quality in a pretty turgid affair.
Good football was in short supply as both sides seemed determined to go long, making it an attritional 90 minutes in stark contrast to the entertainment Hassocks have been involved with serving up since the start of December.
Injuries and unavailability have meant that Brad Sweetman has rarely been able to name an unchanged starting XI so far this season.
He was treated to that luxury at The Oval, selecting the same line-up who had spoiled Little Common’s homecoming party a week earlier when holding the Green Lane Boys to a draw in their first league game at the Recreation Ground for four years.
Changes now seem likely for next week’s visit of Bexhill United.
Bradley Tighe had an excellent personal performance brought to a premature ending when he departed with an ankle injury to be replaced by Arthur Rawlingson whilst there were also decent cameos from the bench from Joe Bull and debutant Charlie Broad.
Young Broad in particular looks an intriguing signing.
Yet another acquisition with Loxwood links, his senior bow for the Robins came less than 48 hours after he had scored twice for the Under 23s in a 3-2 win over Horsham YMCA which took the Robins development squad top of the North Division.
Ball’s excellent strike from 25 yards whistled into the back of the net to give United the lead with 27 minutes on the clock. There was little the Robins number one Alex Harris could do about it.
Hassocks did lots of huffing and puffing and nobody could fault their work rate.
You could excuse the Robins an off day though following a run of four wins, four draws and two defeats in their last 10 outings, pulling themselves 10 points clear of the bottom two in the process.