SLIDESHOW: Could have been more convincing

by Paul Elphick

It was comfortable enough for Robins against the basement boys but too often the final ball let down the hosts as they maintained second place.

The previous week’s hat-trick hero, Nathan Miles, limped off with a knee injury after only seven minutes but his replacement, Jamie Hillwood, scored twice.

Even before Miles went off, Phil Johnson found the side netting with the goal at his mercy and later visiting keeper Steve Allfrey denied him and the industrious Jamie Ingham from close range.

Despite having a good match, however, Allfrey would have been disappointed not to keep out Hillwood’s lob on 19 minutes when the sub was put through by Anthony Hibbert’s excellent diagonal pass.

Johnson was having one of those games, as twice more he found himself in good positions but failed to hit the target, while Phil Gault was also twice denied from headers.

At the other end Jack Simpson had to be alert to save from Sam Blundell and at only 1-0 at half time, home thoughts reflected back to the Ringmer game a fortnight earlier when Hassocks paid dearly for first-half misses as they crashed to their only league defeat.

That fear could have taken a step closer reality had United managed to cash in on their best spell of the match early in the second half.

Johnson’s match ended on the hour because of a knee injury and his replacement Lee Cooper twice fired over the bar from long range.

The second goal came on 65 minutes when Hibbert’s corner was bundled in at the far post by Hillwood and the three points were wrapped up by Hibbert on 85 minutes as he latched on to Nick Pitcher’s superb long pass and rounded the keeper.

Hassocks: Simpson; South, Marsh, Pitcher, Maynard (Davees, 53); Ingham, Hibbert, N Cooper; Miles (Hillwood, 7), Gault, Johnson (L Cooper, 60).

Middy Starman: Anthony Hibbert two assists and a goal,