|
MATCH
REPORTS - FIRST TEAM
Sussex County League
Division 1
Saturday
20th
October
2007
RAMPANT
ROBINS PUT WICK TO THE SWORD
Wick
1-5 Hassocks
After
20 minutes of this encounter, you would have been
forgiven for thinking that the only team that could
possibly win this game 5-1 would have been the home
side. They dominated the proceedings from the off,
with the Robins defence and midfield at sixes and
sevens and the influential Tom Manton and Russell
Hardwell causing untold problems down the flanks.
However, Hassocks weathered the storm, got a foothold
in the game and produced a stunning performance to
trounce a star-studded Wick line up.
You
only had to look at the bench to see how strong Wick
are this season, with 10-goal Dominic Shepherd, former
Whitehawk man Gareth Green and ex-Lewes player Peter
Brackley amongst the subs. Add to this 6 former
Chichester players, including the County League’s
top scorer, Scott Murfin and it’s not difficult to
understand why the Hassocks contingent were delighted
at the final whistle.
Wick
are a top footballing side but failed to capitalise on
their early dominance, Hardwell forced a fine save
from Joel Harding, Paul Jones headed over and Scott
Murfin was only denied by a last ditch block from
Ashley Marsh. It was against the run of play that the
visitors took the lead on 29 minutes. Stuart Faith’s
shot from 30 yards was parried by David Leaver out for
a corner, much to the disgust of the Wick defence and
from the resulting corner Mark Sheriff was tripped,
Anthony Hibbert despatching the penalty with ease.
Murfin then hit a fine effort just wide before
Hassocks doubled the lead three minutes before the
break, Hibbert smashing home a pinpoint shot from 25
yards, after Phil Gault had laid the ball back into
his path. Before the interval, Leaver twice denied
Sheriff with brilliant one handed saves, the first
from a close range header and the second from an
audacious hook with his left foot from 30 yards.
Wick
started the second half with purpose, Steve Boston
flashing a header over the bar, whilst at the other
end, Gault just delayed his shot enough for Jones to
deny him. Boston halved the deficit on 53, nodding
home from 6 yards, the ball looping up nicely for him
after Harding had denied the impressive Manton.
Brendan Leahy was then injured in a goalmouth
scramble, the Hassocks defender leaving the field on a
stretcher after twisting his knee. Harding had done
superbly to tip over a deflected Boston cross
beforehand. Matt Robbins replaced Leahy, with Faith
dropping back to centre half.
As
Wick pushed forward for the equaliser, Hassocks began
to hit them on the counter attack and Gault nearly
restored the two-goal cushion but Leaver parried his
shot out for a corner. The lively Boston again
troubled Harding with a header. Shepherd and Green
were then brought on, the former replacing the injured
Murfin up front. On 70 minutes Hassocks led 3-1.
Harding’s huge clearance sailed over the defence,
Gault latched onto it, squared for Sheriff, who was
upended by Leaver and Hibbert coolly slotted past
Leaver for his hat-trick.
Gault
scored a superb individual effort on 74 minutes to
make it 4-1, leaving Jones and Ben Buckland for dead,
before curling a left footer exquisitely into the far
corner. The Robins were rampant now, picking off the
home defence at will and it was that man Gault again
who netted the 5th with five minutes
remaining, cutting out a poor backpass from Phil
Turner and walking the ball into an empty net after
rounding Leaver.
The
Wick players and management left the field
shell-shocked, whilst the Hassocks players and
supporters were jubilant at such an impressive away
win.
Team;
Harding, Fisk, Thompson, Marsh, Lear, Leahy (Robbins
58), Faith, Slaughter, Hibbert, Gault, Sheriff (Franks
86)
Unused
subs: Barnes and Wickwar
Man
of the Match: Although Anthony Hibbert netted a
hat-trick, the vote just goes to Phil Gault, who was a
constant menace to the Wick back line all afternoon
|
