Shootout secures Hassocks’ win over AFC Varndeanians in RUR Cup

The Robins managed to successfully rotate their squad and secure safe passage to the second round of the competition, where they will travel to either Roffey or Montpelier Villa.

Fraser Trigwell ended up being the Hassocks hero. He made a couple of important interventions to keep Varndeanians at bay during 90 goalless minutes, followed by saving two penalties in the subsequent shootout as the Robins triumphed 5-4 from 12 yards.

Trigwell, Matt Gunn, Joe Bull, Josh Mundy and Liam Benson were the only survivors from Tuesday night’s midweek win at Pagham.

James Westlake took the opportunity to rest Harvey Blake, Alex Bygraves, Tom Frankland, Jamie Wilkes, Pat Harding and Kyle Woolven.

In came Bradley Tighe, Sam Smith, Alfie Loversidge, Mike Williamson, Sam Geard and Alex Fair.

Hassocks knew from experience that making such wholesale changes is not without risk.

Westlake rested some big names in the Peter Bentley League Cup last season when Varndeanians provided the opposition at the Beacon.

On that occasion, the Robins were defeated 2-0. A year on and this Hassocks squad runs deeper. Westlake can make six changes and Hassocks can still get a result, although the head coach did admit afterwards that his side were nowhere near their best.

That made for a pretty turgid affair in which good chances were few and far between.

The first opportunity of the game summed up what was to come. Tighe was wearing the captain’s armband with Bygraves watching from the bench and seemed in particularly determined mood to score as skipper.

His charge forward from right back was picked out by Smith hitting a 70 yard pass up the pitch. The Varndeanians left back got stuck under the ball, leaving Tighe facing down goalkeeper Jordan Hawkins.

Tighe opted try and lob the bouncing ball first time over the head of Hawkins. This seemed bold and so it proved, the effort getting stuck in a tree behind the goal.

Two good chances came the way of Varndeanians in what proved to be an action packed lead up to half time.

Mundy surrendered possession to Max Vardy, whose shot Smith managed to get just enough of a head on to deflect over the bar.

No Hassocks player then picked up the run into the box of Oscar Pinnock. Luckily for the Robins, Pinnock headed wastefully over from a Lawrence Edwards cross.

Trigwell went long from the subsequent goal kick. Benson flicked on down the left and Fair crossed deep to the far post.

The ball did not fall kindly to Loversidge but once he had it under control, the young winger drew a good reaction save from Hawkins.

Varndeanians were not convincing in dealing with the resulting corner, failing to take two opportunities to clear.

That gave Fair the chance to work some space via a series of his trademark Cruyff Turns, leading Trammell Mthuzni on a merry dance before curling a shot easily held by Hawkins.

Hassocks had strong penalty appeals turned down in the final play prior to the break. Loversidge produced a delightful piece of skill to collect a long pass from Raging Bull, lobbing it over the head of a Varndeanians defender.

When said defender tried to recover the situation, he clumsily

caught the back of Loversidge’s right leg to send the Robins wide man to the ground. Referee Ellis South waved play on.

Hopes that the entertainment value of those final 10 minutes of the first half would extend into the second were dashed pretty early on as the game struggled to reignite.

Bull took a corner short to Mundy whose whipped cross ended up being more of a shot, clipping the crossbar and bouncing behind.

Hawkins gathered a deflected effort and Wilkes blasted a shot from a promising position into orbit shortly after his introduction.

The tall striker was one of four replacements introduced by Westlake in an attempt to find a goal.

Harding, Frankland and Woolven also entered the fray. A foul on the latter as he attempted to run through after collecting a Wilkes pass resulted in Pinnock picking up his second yellow of the afternoon, leaving Varndeanians to finish with 10 men.

Just before that incident and Trigwell kept his side in it, saving brilliantly at the feet of Varndeanians substitute Marley Bigg.

Trigwell was equally impressive in the shootout, keeping out the second and sixth Varndeanians penalties with saves low down to his left.

Harding, Woolven, Bull, Frankland and Benson all converted for Hassocks. The only Robins player to miss was the rangy Wilkes.

Hassocks: Trigwell; B Tighe, Gunn, S Smith, Bull; Loversidge, Mundy, Williamson, Fair; Geard, Benson.

Subs: Harding (Fair 58), Wilkes (Mundy 66), Woolven (Fair 66), Frankland (Loversidge 79), Bygraves (unused).