Hassocks collect a festive three points on Boxing Day

With Haywards Heath Town thriving in the Bostik League and St Francis Rangers sadly no more, Hassocks are left as the district’s sole representatives in the Southern Combination League.

That meant that for the first time since 2007, there was no game against their local rivals to look forward to in the holiday season.

SEE ALSO Our Sporting Moments of 2018 | Burgess Hill Town v Worthing: Picture gallery | Crawley Town - a year in picturesNot without controversy, the league decided to pair them with Lancing for this season’s holiday fixtures despite the fact that there are a glut of clubs who are closer in terms of location to both.

It proved to be an inspired decision, a Beacon best crowd of the season of 206 being treated to a feisty encounter which saw Hassocks run out 3-1 winners and both sides reduced to 10 men amongst nine cards flashed by referee Thomas Price.

Geography-wise, Hassocks versus Lancing doesn’t make sense as a derby but playing wise, there is plenty of history between the two as, aside from Haywards Heath and St Francis, the Lancers are probably the side with which Hassocks have swapped players on the most frequent basis over the last decade.

While Lancing were without their talismanic ex-Robin Alex Bygraves, Mark Dalgleish named three former Lancers in his starting line up; Josh Green, Bradley Tighe and Liam Benson and it was the former who was part of the melee that resulted in Spencer Slaughter and Dean Stewart-Hunter seeing red.

Quite what Stewart-Hunter was thinking when he took a vicious kick at Benson is anyone’s guess but it didn’t sit well with Slaughter who charged 60 yards up the pitch to grab the visitors number six.

Both Slaughter and Stewart-Hunter were already on yellows by that point, leaving Mr Price with little choice but to send them for an early bath with their disagreement continuing down the players tunnel.

Hassocks were 2-1 ahead by that point and were good value for it.

They’d started the game the brighter side with Benson heading just wide with nine minutes played and then visiting goalkeeper Matt Evans made an excellent stop from Phil Johnson with 27 on the clock.

That parry from Evans become all the more important as just four minutes later, Lancing took the lead.

The goal was of Hassocks’ own making.

Firstly, they took an ill-advised throw across their own box which led to a string of mistakes before Harry Mills hauled down Matt Daniel.

There could be no real complaints at the decision to award the Lancers a spot kick and Jonathan Lansdale certainly made the most of the Christmas gift, slotting the penalty past Green for 1-0.

When one goal goes in against Hassocks, a second can quickly follow so Dalgleish would have been pleased that his side quickly reasserted their authority despite falling behind.

This time it was Benson who Evans foiled while Jake Lindsey also went close and Slaughter hit a rocket that whistled just wide of the post.

Stewart- Hunter could have doubled the visitors lead just before the break but was caught in an offside position when he thought he was in on goal.

Hassocks made a lively start to the second half with most of their good play coming from Tighe and Harvey Blake down the right while Joe Bull was proving to be a real threat on a rare start through the middle.

It came as little surprise when the Robins levelled things up and it was even less of a shock that it was Benson who scored it.

The striker seems to thrive when coming up against his former clubs – he’d scored twice at the Beacon in

Lancing colours back in March on his first return since moving to Culver Road – and there was nothing Evans could do to prevent him equalising.

Hassocks still had another gear to step up to and Benson’s goal inspired them to push the clutch down and go for it.

Within seven minutes they were ahead through a goal of the highest quality from Johnson.

There didn’t seem much on when the Robins’ top scorer got the ball with his back to goal but he produced a sublime turn in the box and then slotted the ball across Evans and into the far corner.

That rattled Lancing and they lost their discipline somewhat, the double dismissal of Slaughter and Hunter-Stewart being the culmination of a ragged period in which Liam Hendy and Will Broomfield were also booked.

Yellow card aside, Broomfield was outstanding all afternoon stepping out of defence with the ball and driving his side on.

Hassocks could have chosen to sit back on their lead with both sides now shorthanded but they didn’t and they were rewarded for that positivity when Lindsey wrapped things up with the Robins’ third just three minutes after the red cards.

It was an excellent finish from the 18-year-old to round off an entertaining Christmas cracker.

Hassocks: Green; Tighe, Broomfield, Mills, Badger; Blake, Slaughter, Bull, Lindsey; Benson, Johnson.

Subs: Stokes, Enticknap, Littlejohn (used), Wilkins, Wickwar (unused).