Late defeat at playoff hopefuls Leafe sends Robins into bottom four

Whilst the Robins were suffering a harsh 2-1 reversal at AFC Whyteleafe, Erith Town were busy pulling off a shock 3-2 victory away against Faversham Town to leapfrog Hassocks in the standings on goal difference.

More troubling than the Dockers drawing level on points is the fact they have three games in hand with which they could cut the Robins and the rest of the bottom four adrift.

One place above Erith sit Crowborough Athletic; six points ahead of Hassocks and with two games in hand.

Now you might be thinking that all sounds rather doom and gloom. But there is still plenty of football to be played - including the sides currently sitting 18th, 20th and 21st visiting the Hassocks Hotel Beacon Ground

And if the Robins turn in displays like this which had them within 10 minutes of drawing with last season’s FA Vase finalists, they can add plenty more to their 23 points between now and the end of the campaign.

All the talk amongst the home contingent around Church Road before kick off was of how Whyteleafe needed to start shooting rather than trying to pass their way to the perfect goal.

A view shared by Leafe boss Ennio Gonnella and his players judging by the way they peppered the Hassocks goal from the first minute.

The Robins had barely made it out of their own half when Whyteleafe took the lead with eight minutes played.

Aziz Sankoh escaped down the left to deliver a perfect cross controlled and fired past ex-Leafe goalkeeper James Shaw by Moses Emmanuel.

It remained one way traffic until the 25 minute mark when Hassocks began to threaten on the counter, throwing players forward whenever they turned over possession.

Whyteleafe were somewhat surprised at the speed and determination with which the Robins broke and did not look terribly comfortable dealing with it.

So although the first half passed without Hassocks creating a chance of note, the general consensus at the break was the visitors were more than capable of getting back into what was now a wide open tie having weathered that early storm.

A consensus which proved correct. The Robins came out all guns blazing after the interval, fashioning two good opportunities in as many minutes either side of the 50 mark.

Dan Turner launched a trebuchet long throw into the box flicked on by Matt Gunn to the far post.

Dan Allen read the situation impeccably to put himself in the right place at the right time, only to place his header inches wide of the post.

Good approach play then gave Matt Daniel a sight of goal but the winger could not get enough contact on the ball to trouble former Burgess Hill number one Slav Huk in the Leafe goal.

A third Hassocks chance came on the hour and this one they took, Daniel producing a clinical finish from 14 yards to haul the Robins level.

Whyteleafe responded to the shock of Hassocks equalising by rattling the bar on 67 minutes.

Three minutes later and Devon Fender saw a rasping volley brilliantly blocked by Aaron Goode after Huk flapped at a typically pinpoint Lewis Finney corner.

The game could have gone either way entering the final 20. It was decided with 80 minutes played when Goode showed he is just as impressive at scoring from 25 yards as he is making goal-saving blocks.

Picking up possession in the middle of the park, Goode strode forward from his centre back berth to thump a distance effort beyond Shaw.

The Robins immediately threw on three centre forwards in an attempt to salvage the point they just about deserved.

One of those was former Haywards Heath Town goal machine Trevor McCreadie, who signed for Hassocks on Friday from Tunbridge Wells.

Those changes though proved too late to make much difference as Whyteleafe comfortably saw out the final 10.

Hassocks: Shaw; Blake, Turner, Gunn, Bull; Allen, Mundy, Faber; Finney, Fender, Daniel.

Subs: Troak (Blake 60), Benson (Fender 80), Vale (Mundy 85), McCreadie (Daniel 85), Jones (unused).