Hassocks head into hectic period by beating Alfold – Little Common put six past AFC Varndeanians

Hassocks 2 Alfold 0

SCFL premier

With eight games crammed into the next four weeks, February looks set to be crucial in deciding how high up the Southern Combination League premier division table Hassocks finish in James Westlake’s first season in charge.

The Robins got the month off to a good start, winning 2-0 at the Beacon against an Alfold side who have shown a lot of improvement since the November appointment of Jordan Clark as their new manager.

They arrived in Mid Sussex in buoyant mood having won 7-3 against Roffey a week earlier, moving to within three points of climbing above Saltdean United and out of the bottom two.

Hassocks needed to give a professional performance in what was a potential banana skin and that is exactly what they did, edging the first half before establishing dominance in the second.

The Robins had been busy on the transfer front in the days leading up to the game, with Westlake bringing in goalkeeper James Shaw from Tooting & Mitcham United and forward Josh Bradley from Steyning Town.

Both came straight into the starting XI and both had a big impact, Shaw showing exemplary handling on his way to keeping a clean sheet and Bradley marking his debut with the Robins’ second goal of the afternoon.

The first half was a very tight affair. Hassocks started brightly with Bradley releasing Phil Johnson down the channel to fire a dangerous cross into the box which nobody could connect with.

More good work from Bradley saw him link up with raging Joe Bull to earn the Robins a corner which came to nothing.

Johnson and Pat Harding then combined nicely for a third early opportunity minutes later but the latter could not get his finish right.

A strong charge down the right from Bradley set up another Hassocks attack which required a George Craig intervention to prevent the hosts making the most it.

Bradley followed that up by showing the defensive side of his game, getting back to make a great recovery tackle as Alfold broke.

That was a warning for the Robins over what Fold could do, particularly on the counter where they posed a real threat. They grew into the game as the half wore on with captain Harry Cole became an increasingly influential figure with a virtuoso midfield display.

Cole was at the heart of Fold’s best chance of the opening 45 minutes, an opportunity which fell to Andrew Demby inside the six yard box. Fortunately for Hassocks, Demby lifted his effort over the bar.

Westlake hit the post direct from a corner shortly before the Hassocks opener arrived two minutes prior to the break.

Sustained pressure on the Alfold goal led to the ball finding its way to Jack Troak on the left hand side of the penalty area.

Troak did fantastically to take on and beat his man, creating the space in which to flash a ball across the face of goal. The luckless Finn Bishop diverted past his own goalkeeper Drew Churchwell and into the back of the net.

Hassocks just about deserved their lead but they came off knowing that there was a lot more work to be done. The Robins have been guilty of sloppy starts and poor second halves in certain games this season.

That was not the case here as they quickly took control with Bradley doubling the lead on 53 minutes via a potential goal of the season contender.

A brilliant sweeping move played out at breakneck speed down the left involving Harding, Johnson and Troak gave Troak the opportunity to cross.

His ball in was pinpoint, finding Bradley ghosting in from the right wing to arrive at the far post and rise highest, heading powerfully past Churchwell.

Seven minutes later and another good chance came the way of Hassocks. Westlake sent a lovely free kick over the head of Shay Matthews to again release Troak.

A teasing cross came in from Troak although this time it was slightly ahead of Johnson, who took the interesting approach of trying to punch the ball into the net.

Johnson was subsequently booked by referee Ian Homewood, who found himself having to deal with a fair amount of nonsense over the course of the game.

As early as the seventh minute, Mr Homewood had to get his yellow out when Alfold’s Callum Kilkenny produced a quite spectacular dive.

Shaw also entered the book with 13 left to play after Mr Homewood had seen enough of his attempts at time wasting, followed by a surreal conversation between the two in which Shaw tried to plead innocent.

Hassocks rang the changes throughout the final 25 minutes, giving runouts from the bench to Alfie Loversidge, Jamie Wilkes, Phil Gault and Sam Rogers.

Loversidge and Gault had chances to add a third but were unable to beat Churchwell whilst Alfold saw their best spell of pressure on the Hassocks goal ended when Shaw was big and brave in collecting a corner.

Hassocks: Shaw; Blake, Tighe, Bygraves, Bull; J Bradley, Williamson, J Westlake, Troak; Johnson, Harding. Subs: Loversidge (Harding 69), Wilkes (Westlake 74), Gault (Johnson 80), Rogers (Bradley 90), Broomfield (unused).

Little Common 6 AFC Varndeanians 1

SCFL premier

Little Common clinched their first win since November with a thumping 6-1 victory at home to AFC Varndeanians on Saturday. After a disappointing midweek defeat to AFC Uckfield, the Commoners stated positively and almost took the lead in the second minute when Lewis Parsons saw his far post header saved well by the visiting keeper.

Common didn’t have to wait long to opening the scoring with Sam Ellis getting clipped just inside the area and Sam Cruttwell despatching the resultant penalty. Cruttwell was soon the provider as Common doubled their lead when a perfectly executed pass into James Miriam-Batchelor allowed the Common midfielder to convert from close range.

The visitors did grow into the game as the half progressed but Matt Cruttwell was rarely troubled in the Common goal and it was Common went closest to extending their lead when a Parsons header across the goal fell to safety and a goal mouth scramble was cleared.

Once again it was Common who started the brighter in the second half and they should really have extended their lead, Ellis pulled an effort wide from the edge of the area and Jamie Bunn skewed an effort wide when well placed. Varndeanians went onto to enjoy a good spell of their own as they looked hit Common on the counter attack and Cruttwell saved well with feet before producing a great close range block when a goal seemed a certainty.

The deficit was reduced in the 70th minute when Common were caught by a quick break and the ball was rolled into a empty net following a neat pass across the area and a nervous final twenty minutes looked to be on the cards.

However, four goals in eleven minutes put paid to any chance of a comeback, it was Parsons who made it 3-1 from close range when he followed in a Cruttwell free-kick in the 73rd minute to restore Common’s two goal advantage.

The goal of the game arrived in the 77th minute when Sam Cruttwell spotted the visiting keeper off his line and unleashed an effort from his own half which nestled in the stranded keeper’s net.

A quick free-kick from player manager Russell Eldridge allowed Bunn to volley in Common’s fifth and Lewis Hole completed the scoring six minutes from time when he capitalised on a mistake from the keeper to pass the ball into an empty net.