Broadbridge Heath leave Gatwick grounded – Hassocks beaten in league and cup

Crawley Down Gatwick 2 Broadbridge Heath 4 – SCFL premier

Heath manager Chris Simmons was able to welcome back Jack Frankland, Andy Waddingham, Matt Penfold and Renato Carvalho to his starting line-up for the trip the Haven but he was without Sean Terry, Ryan Brackpool and Louis Evans all joining a long list of players unavailable for one reason or another.

But despite that the team got off to an excellent start scoring their first in the 2nd minute, when Sam Lemon played a 1-2 with Lewis Croal on the edge of the box and finished with a left foot shot across the keeper and in at the far right post.

The hosts equalised on 11 minutes when a cross from the right was turned in from close range by Sammy Clements and to make things worse, they lost their Captain Waddingham to another injury and gradually the hosts got on top creating several chances but unable to beat the young Heath keeper Jasper Sheik who was forced to make some really good saves to keep the score level.

Just before the break and against the run of play a Crawley Down move broke down with Carvalho winning the ball on the halfway line, a quick interchange of passes between Penfold and Croal saw Jack Frankland sneak up unmarked on the right flank and the defender took his time to advance on goal and place his right foot shot wide of the keeper and in at the bottom right corner, so 2-1 to the Bears at the break but somewhat fortunate to be ahead at that stage.

After strong words in the changing room at half-time, Mason Doughty came off the bench having missed the last three games through injury and he immediately started to cause the home defence problems with his close ball control and pace down the right flank.

The striker was involved in the third when a long ball from Kyle Sim was brought under control by Doughty who drove down the right before crossing to Lemon in front of goal who took a touch and slotted home for his second of the match and his 4th in his last 3 games.

Again the hosts fought back and scored their second in the 73rd minute when a mistake at the back allowed an Anvils player to win the ball and cross to an unmarked Clements who took a touch before slotting home to make it 2-3.

Heath completed the scoring in the 80th minute when Croal slipped the ball past two defenders to run through and score against his old club bringing an end to very good second half display by the Bears and a result which means the team have made their best ever start to life in the Premier division with 5 wins from 6 matches.

MoM: Sam Lemon

Boss Simmons said: “Injury and unavailability has been crazy already this season and losing Wadder’s after 10 minutes is another nightmare but this squad just keep proving how strong we are, we were ok in the first half but very good in the 2nd and deserved the 3 points.”

BBH: Sheik, Frankland, Chesworth, Penfold (Clark 89), Sim, Waddingham (Young 14), Weller, H.Mark (Blake 72), Carvalho (Doughty 46), Croal Cooksley 84, Lemon.

Little Common 2 Hassocks 0 – SCFL premier

Nobody measures xG in the Southern Combination League. Which is just as well, because Hassocks would have been thoroughly depressed by expected goals compared to the actual outcome from their trip to Little Common.

The Robins were miles the better side. They played some excellent football. The only thing letting them down was their finishing.

Chance after chance went begging. It was in stark contrast to Hassocks’ last outing, a clinical display which put seven past Roffey on Bank Holiday Monday.

Little Common meanwhile managed two efforts on target all evening. Both went in, sending Hassocks to a 2-0 defeat and ending their hopes of winning four Premier Division matches in a row for the first time since 2018.

Unsurprisingly, James Westlake made no changes from the starting XI who hit that baker’s half seven against the Boars.

Fast stars have been a theme of the Westlake Era so far. Hassocks took the lead inside five minutes in each of those victories over Roffey, Alfold and AFC Uckfield Town.

The Robins nearly added another early goal here. Three minutes had elapsed when an aggressive press won Hassocks possession in midfield.

Head coach Westlake threaded in Leon Turner, only for the winger to see his shot repelled by Common goalkeeper Matt Cruttwell.

That stop looked even more important when Common took the lead three minutes later.

Sam Ellis escaped down the left channel and his pull back was swept in from close range by Lewis Hole.

It would be another 71 minutes before Common mustered another opportunity. They would score that one, too.

In between, Hassocks produced a catalogue of misses which ranged from the unfortunate to the downright bizarre.

The first came just three further minutes from Common taking the lead.

Lewis Westlake swung over a corner which found its way to Sam Cash at the back post, who somehow contrived to miss from four yards out.

A bobble did Phil Johnson just as he was about to pull the trigger with Hassocks’ next chance, the ball flying over from 20 yards after skipping up unexpectedly.

Then it was the turn of the woodwork to get in the way. Some brilliant passing football released Mike Williamson gliding into a wide position.

He played a visionary pass into James Westlake to hit a rasping effort. It beat Cruttwell but not the crossbar, which was left shaking for sometime after.

Williamson was a little too high with an effort from 20 yards after enterprising play from Troak on the half hour mark.

Home player-manager Russell Eldridge became one of three Common players to enter the book for clever fouls to stop Hassocks breaking.

Johnson had skinned Eldridge on halfway and was looking to break when Eldridge tried to swap shirts with him, leaving referee Perry Hart no choice but to flash a yellow.

Two minutes later and Hassocks should have made more of the opportunity presented by a poor back header from Adam Smith intended for Cruttwell.

Turner intercepted and had passing options in the middle. Instead, he took the decision to shoot from a tight angle with the resulting shot failing to trouble the Common goal.

The lively Turner did better with his next opportunity, cutting inside and hitting a crisp shot which required a good stop from Cruttwell.

Jamie Bunn was shown a yellow for two swipes at the lively Harvey Blake just before the break as Hassocks continued to cause problems right up until the half time whistle.

Four minutes into the second half and Johnson skipped around Eldridge, who dared not foul for fear of a second yellow.

Johnson’s luck was clearly not in however as again, a divot skipped the ball up as he was about to shoot, sending the effort from 18 yards flying over the bar.

The hour mark saw Blake miss at the back post from four yards with a rebound after Turner had blazed through the Common defence.

Johnny Walker picked up the third Common booking of the night for a cynical trip, followed by Cash hitting a weak effort from 23 yards.

A rare foray forward from Common brought them their first corner of the night on 77 minutes.

When Lewis Parsons stole a gap to head home and double the hosts’ advantage, you knew it was not going to be Hassocks’ evening. If that had not already been apparent.

The Robins to their credit kept going. They mustered a couple more chances, the best of which needed a desperate goal line clearance from Parsons amidst a scramble.

The loose ball fell straight to substitute Joe Bull, who was making his 100th Hassocks appearance.

Bull could not mark the milestone with a goal, firing wide. It was just one of those nights for the Robins.

Hassocks: Harris; Blake, Bygraves, B Tighe, Cash; J Westlake, Williamson, L Westlake; Turner, Johnson, Troak.

Subs: Benson (J Westlake 73), Bull (Turner 80), Wilkes, S Smith, Broomfield (unused).

Hassocks 0 AFC Varndeanians 2 – Peter Bentley Cup

The United Kingdom has rattled through seven Prime Ministers since Hassocks last progressed beyond the quarter finals of the Peter Bentley League Cup.

John Major. Tony Blair. Gordon Brown. David Cameron. Theresa May. Boris Johnson. And now Liz Truss have all occupied Number 10 since the 1996-97 season and the Robins’ one and only foray to the final four.

Hassocks will be waiting at least a year into Ms Truss’ time in office to improve their awful record in the competition after they were eliminated at the second round stage by AFC Varndeanians at the Beacon.

It finished 2-0 to the visitors in a match which was almost a carbon copy of the Robins’ Friday night defeat at Little Common - same scoreline, same head scratching from Hassocks players, management and fans as to how they had not won.

The hosts were the better side, creating numerous opportunities over the 90 minutes. For the second game running, they could not make one stick on the scoreboard.

Varndeanians in contrast took advantage of a gift early in the second half to score with their first meaningful shot on target.

They doubled the advantage with their second shot on target 10 minutes later - and that proved enough to secure a home tie with Loxwood in round three.

James Westlake shuffled his pack, giving starts to Will Broomfield, Joe Bull, Tom Frankland, Liam Benson and Jamie Wilkes.

Jack Troak, Phil Johnson, Bradley Tighe, Sam Cash and Lewis Westlake were all rested. In Westlake’s absence, Alex Bygraves captained Hassocks for the first time.

Nobody was really talking about the wholesale changes before the game. Instead, the focus was on the surprise presence of Pat Harding in a matchday squad for the first time since re-joining the Robins from Burgess Hill Town in the summer.

Harding has recovered more quickly than expected from the broken ribs he sustained in a pre-season friendly against Whitehawk.

He came off the bench for the final 30 minutes to quite the reception from the Beacon faithful. Harding’s return is timely given the struggles Hassocks have experienced putting the ball in the back of the net during their two goalless outings.

The Robins looked particularly dangerous in wide positions during a first half in which Alex Harris was virtually a spectator.

Harvey Blake and Tom Frankland dovetailed well down the right. Leon Turner has been a lively presence on that flank so far this season but he showed he can be just as threatening on the left, where he was switched in the absence of Troak.

The first clearcut chance of the game fell to head coach Westlake on 10 minutes. He defied his diminutive frame to meet a whipped Frankland cross with a header just wide.

12 minutes later and Blake and Frankland exchanged a series of passes. That created the space Frankland needed to deliver a low cross towards the front post.

Benson timed his run to perfection to get across Ollie Stevenson, only to place his sweeping finish into the side netting.

Blake was the next to cross on the half hour mark, hanging up a ball to the back post. Benson produced a startling leap and a brilliant header which required an even better save from Keen Ancell tipping over.

Ancell next kept out a Wilkes volley at full stretch. The tall striker had set himself up with lovely close control on the edge of the box after a Turner run and cross.

All of the Robins’ good first half work was undone within 60 seconds of the restart. Mike Williamson slipped when attempting to pass back to Harris, Ali Rainford gleefully accepted possession and slotted home.

It was a poor goal to concede. In contrast, not much could be done about Fin Bigg’s strike to make it 2-0 on 56 minutes. The Varndeanians winger cut in from the left and bent a brilliant effort into the far corner.

Between the two goals, Blake hit a drive into the side netting and the rangy Wilkes had an effort blocked by imperious Vs captain Omar Bukleb.

Hassocks responded to falling two behind by rattling the woodwork twice in three minutes. Benson chested down to Turner who hit a fierce volley from 12 yards. Ancell somehow got a touch onto the shot to divert it onto the crossbar.

Blake then picked up the ball on the edge of the area, beat one man and cracked a low effort which clipped the outside of the post.

Even with 25 minutes still to go at that point, you knew it was going to be one of those nights.

Hassocks used all five of their permitted subs in an attempt to find a way through. Harding looked lively, although it was Sam Smith and Tighe of the replacements who came closest to scoring late on.

Bygraves’ downward header from a corner landed at the feet of Smith on the goal line but the ball got caught, allowing Ancell to grab. Tighe then hit an outrageous outside of the boot piledriver from 25 yards which was flicked over the bar by a Varndeanians head with the final touch of the game.

Hassocks: Harris; Blake, Bygraves, Broomfield, Bull; Frankland, J Westlake, Williamson, Turner; Wilkes; Benson.

Subs: Tighe (Broomfield 57), Harding (Wilkes 60), Reid (Frankland 72), S Smith (Benson 79), Rogers (J Westlake 84).