Rasping drive from Booth earns point for Hassocks

WH 081114 Football: Arundel v Hassocks. Photo by Derek Martin SUS-141011-115651002

The Mullets spent the second half of last season leading a nomadic life after the River Arun burst its banks and flooded their Mill Road home.

And the heavy rain that battered the ground in the lead up to this encounter meant difficult conditions and an extremely heavy pitch for both sides.

That this game was even on was impressive in itself, Arundel doing an excellent job in pumping water off the pitch having seen their midweek encounter with Midhurst and Easebourne postponed.

With Jack Simpson out with a broken finger sustained in last weekends FA Vase win over Corinthian, the Robins handed a senior debut to George Willett in-between the sticks.

Despite conceding a free kick in only the fourth minute to dangerous Arundel forward Barney Boutwood, he had a solid afternoon with two key interventions in the first half in particular, making a good save low down to his left and tipping a flying effort over.

The Mullet’s lead lasted for just eight minutes before young Booth underlined his growing potential by netting the equaliser with his stunning distance effort.

If conditions were already challenging then they became a whole lot worse after the break as a horrific wind and rain storm took hold.

Hassocks’ injury woes so far this season have been well documented and it looks like they have deepened further here, Rob South, Mark Price and Booth all being withdrawn with knocks before the 90 minutes were up.

They were replaced by Nick Pitcher, former youth team player Pat Rose on his second debut after signing from Lancing and Ryan Collins.

The latter had a great chance to win the game for the Robins in the closing stages, his cross-cum-shot almost sneaking in at the back post.

As it was, both sides had to settle for a point with Ashley Marsh and Ian Simpson in particular doing well to shackle Arundel’s 19 goal strike force of Boutwood and the ever dangerous Scott Tipper.

Hassocks: Willett; South, Marsh, I Simpson, Davess; Jacques, Stokes, Price, Bant, Booth; Johnson, Miles.

Subs: Pitcher (South), Rose (Price), Collins (Booth), S Brown, P Wickwar (unused).