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MATCH
REPORTS - FIRST TEAM
Sussex County League
Division 1
Tuesday
14th August
2007
ROBINS DOWNED
BY CROWS
Hassocks
0-1 Crowborough Athletic
HASSOCKS
have clear designs on a top three finish in the County
League and those ambitions could not have faced a much
more testing start to the season. After the opening
day joy of a first win in 10 visits to Arundel, it was
Crowborough who were the first visitors to a Beacon
ground now complete with magnificent new clubhouse and
bereft of the old wooden building. It
was a wild day and wild night, with swirling rain
continuing unabated and meaning the Beacon was no
place for the faint-hearted.
Crows
came fresh from a highly impressive 4-1 Norman Wingate
Trophy win over Eastbourne Town and few would argue
with the programme note stating that whoever finishes
above them this season could well be County League
champions. In truth they were quicker in thought and
deed to their hosts but as home boss Dave John said
afterwards: ''It was always tight and I was pleased
the way we put them under a bit more pressure in the
second half.''
But
Robins never really looked like scoring and so were
always struggling once falling behind in the 11th
minute. They only half cleared a set-piece and Wayne
Clarke's sweet low drive from upwards of 35 yards
zipped past home keeper Joel Harding. In the first
half apart from three free kicks squandered by Anthony
Hibbert (twice) and Phil Gault, there was not much
glimmer of a chance for the hosts, while the best
Crows could offer after the goal was a fierce drive by
Ross Treleaven that Harding turned over acrobatically.
After the break Robins tried hard to lift the tempo
but too often their passing let them down and with the
amount of surface water increasing by the minute,
conditions in places started to get a little farcical.
However, Burgess Hill referee Ryan Ellis was right to
keep going although he might question that after
landing himself with plenty of paper work with six
bookings.
Crows
won that contest too, 4-2, as Stuart Faith and Sam
Fisk were the home players to see yellow.
Clarke went close again fairly late on after cutting
inside and hitting a low shot into Harding's left hand
side netting, while there were brief moments of hope
at the other end.
Early
on Matt Robbins forced visiting keeper Mark Oldroyd to
save low at his right hand post after Matt Amos made a
mess of what was little more than a half chance
created by good work from Fisk and Robbins. Amos then
won a corner from which his near post header was
stopped near the line and Faith was only inches too
high when he tried one from distance. But there was an
air of inevitablity about the final outcome and when
no-one managed to get on the end of Mickey Turner's
dangerous cross, home fans knew the game was up.
Conditions no doubt spoiled the match as a spectacle
but it seems likely both teams will be up in the
vanguard this season.
Hassocks:
Harding, Turner, B Leahy, Marsh, Lear; Hibbert,
Robbins, Faith, Fisk; Amos, Gault
Unused
subs: Sheriff, Thompson, Hewitt, Newington, Wickwar
Bookings:
Hassocks - Faith (foul), Fisk (foul); Crowborough -
Harris (foul), Treleaven (verbal), Ducile (verbal),
Godden (foul)
Middy
Starman: You couldn't fault any Hassocks player for
effort, but no-one did enough to stand out
Report
courtesy of Chris Francis, Mid Sussex Times
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