Hassocks are Crawley Down Gatwick's bogey side - Ringmer well beaten at Cuckfield

Crawley Down Gatwick 1 Hassocks 3 - SCFL premier

Crawley Down Gatwick must be sick of the sight of Hassocks. For the second time in 21 days, Brad Sweetman’s side defied the nine Premier Division placings and 20 points separating the two clubs to run out victorious over the Anvils.

Three weeks earlier and two extra time goals from Jack Troak were enough to send the Robins into the quarter finals of the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup via a 2-1 win over Down at the Beacon.

This 3-1 success at the Haven was even more impressive. Hassocks were away from home, the margin of victory was bigger, the game was won in 80 minutes and the Robins had several walking wounded after a bruising 4-1 weekend defeat at home to Bexhill United.

Three players who had started against the Pirates were ruled out completely. Alex Harris, Charlie Tuck and captain Troak were replaced by Harvey Parker, Arthur Rawlingson and Bradley Bant.

“Just when you start to get a settled team out, you pick up a load more injuries,” said Hassocks technical director Dave John before kick, although Down too had absentee issues of their own.

Chief amongst those was the fact that former Robins favourite and Anvils top scorer Phil Johnson was watching from the stands, a ligament injury having ruled him out since November.

It was two more of Down’s ex-Hassocks contingent who combined to give the hosts the lead with the only meaningful attack either side managed in the opening 30 minutes.

A quarter of an hour had elapsed when Harvey Enticknap got to the byline and delivered a low cross into the box towards Charlie Pitcher.

Bradley Tighe appeared to make a decent tackle on Pitcher, only for the ball to ricochet back to last season’s Hassocks top scorer to clinically finish into the bottom corner with a snapshot on the turn.

Hassocks registered their first opportunity with 31 minutes played. Rawlingson clipped up the line for the tireless Alfie Loversidge to chase.

His clever switch of play out to the left found Joe Bull who despite having a tight angle to work with, drew a good stop from Alex Bellingham in the Down goal.

Bellingham was called into action again three minutes later, Rawlingson advancing from right back to collect a Josh Short pass and deliver a cross.

What came next was something of a collector’s item, the diminutive Bradley Bant appearing to leap 50 times his own body length like a cricket to power a firm header which required a decent save to keep it out.

The slow start to proceedings became a distant memory in the final 10 minutes of the half as the game began to ebb and flow.

Home centre back Lewis Scally was lucky to stay on the pitch after a reckless, high, two-footed lunge through Bull was somehow only deemed a yellow card by referee Joshua Langley-Fineing.

It was a decision that left even home fans a little surprised and it caused a bit of a furore on the pitch, the normally placid Westlake brothers momentarily turning into the Kray Twins in the resulting melee.

Hassocks regained their composure quickly to equalise four minutes before the interval. Turner used his hand to produce a textbook volleyball spike back to James Westlake, something which incredibly went unnoticed by Down bar one half-hearted appeal for handball.

Westlake made the most of the opportunity, striking low and hard

past Bellingham to level the game.

The second half was nine minutes old when Marc Pelling joined Scally in

the book for cynically pulling Short’s shirt after the Hassocks forward skipped around him.

That left both of Down’s centre backs trying to negotiate the final half hour without committing another foul whilst faced with the pace and skill of Short and Loversidge leading the line for Hassocks.

The Robins would go onto make the most of the situation, but they first needed Bant to produce a superb block on the line from another Pitcher snapshot to ensure they did not fall 2-1 behind with 68 played.

Bant almost went from goal saver to goal scorer on 75. A failed Pelling clearance hit Bant in the chest and although he showed mighty quick reactions to get a volley away as the ball fell, it was just wide.

Hassocks were on top now and they took the lead with 78 minutes played. Loversidge’s deft flick put Short in against Scally and the Down defender did not dare risk getting a tackle wrong for fear of a red card. That allowed Short to skip away before drilling past Bellingham and into the bottom corner.

Two minutes later and Loversidge and Short again linked up in identical fashion. This time, Down managed to scramble clear but their relief was short lived as the Robins wrapped things up from the resulting corner.

Lewis Westlake delivered to the penalty spot where Rawlingson had been left with enough time and space to bring the ball down on his chest and thump home a crisp volley with aplomb for his first senior goal in Hassocks colours.

Hassocks: Parker; Rawlingson, Turner, Tighe, Baden; Bant, J Westlake, L Westlake, Bull; Short, Loversidge.

Subs: S Smith (Bant 89), Broad (Loversidge 92), J Smith, Wallis, Beebee (unused).

Cuckfield Rangers 4-0 Ringmer AFC

Ringmer exited the Sussex Intermediate Cup with little complaint. A motivated home performance against a lacklustre Ringmer saw Cuckfield book a place in the quarter finals in a reversal of last week’s league result.

Whether down to absent players, or absent minds, Ringmer looked a shadow of the side who had brushed past Cuckfield in the league seven days prior. Poor decision making and individual errors costing two early goals as Cuckfield raced to a two-goal advantage through goals from Dave Houlders and Luke Trotter. A mid half fracas saw a flurry of yellow cards and the onset of a more even contest with Ringmer shading goal scoring opportunities in the final ten minutes of the half. MoM Marcin Ruda’s exceptional control and shot coming closest bringing Ringmer back within touching distance at the interval.

The second half saw Ringmer start the brighter and with the wind advantage they held possession in the Cuckfield half more effectively. As Ringmer began to look like they might convert a chance a calamitous own goal following an hour of play put the tie out of reach for the away side. Ten minutes later Ringmer failed to convert an open goal and found themselves conceding a fourth within seconds of the chance as Cuckfield countered with clinical efficiency and a tidy finish from Andy Burberry.

Ringmer’s attention now turns to league action as they travel to Balcombe on Saturday 5th February (14.00 ko).

Ringmer AFC: Whiting.J, Doyle, Ashwood, Bines (Gayford 18), Whiting.T, Hunt, Le Cras, Ghosh (Barber 76), Ruda, Stevenson, Strutt (Craig 62)

MoM: Marcin Ruda

Ringmer AFC 2s – 3-0 – AFC Hurst

The 2s re-ignited their chase of table toppers Lectern Lights with a very dominant display against Hurst. With 1st team call ups for season regulars Jake Barber & Sam Gayford and absence of Aiden West due to illness, there were call ups for several 3rd team players. Ringmer should have been out of sight within 30mins, creating chance after chance and their visitors would have had no complaint had they found themselves 5 down by that time. It took until right on half time for Ringmer to get in front. Skipper Brett Johnson bursting into box and being clipped for easy penalty decision for the ref. Top scorer, Tyler Watson, tucking away the penalty.

It was no different at start of 2nd half with total dominance by the 2s. Watson grabbing a second coolly slotting home one on one with keeper. With MOM Jake Tomsett running the show in midfield, RIngmer again created numerous opportunities. With 25min left, it was 3-0 when Tyler Watson produced great header to grab hat trick on his birthday. The Hurst keeper continued to keep the score down as Ringmer cruised to a crucial victory.

Ringmer 2s – Mouland, Johnson, Turner, May (Denness 68), Gardner, Tomsett, Wade, Fyffe, Nussey (Gallini 45), Watson, Porter (Robinson 73)

MOM – Jake Tomsett