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MATCH
REPORTS - FIRST TEAM
Sussex RUR Cup 4th Round
Saturday
29th
December
2007
INJURY
TIME HEARTBREAK FOR ROBINS
Rye
United 2-1 Hassocks
A
goal in the 5th minute of stoppage time by
Duncan McArthur condemned Hassocks to yet another
quarter final defeat in a tense affair at Rye United.
The Robins will be kicking themselves again after
missing a great opportunity to reach their first ever
senior final, with Selsey, who they had already beaten
3 times this season, waiting in the semi-final.
With
a fierce wind blowing and on a difficult and heavy
surface, which hadn’t been rolled after the Boxing
Day match against Sidley, both sides struggled to get
the ball down and play. However, Hassocks will feel
they should have gone in at the interval a couple of
goals ahead after kicking with the wind. With Matt
Robbins on holiday and Phil Gault suffering from flu,
Laurence Robinson and Matt Amos were paired up front,
with both youngsters missing good chances. Robinson
was denied by the legs of veteran keeper Kusha
Movaffagh and then Amos forced a good save low down.
Robinson then rounded Movaffagh after being played in
by Anthony Hibbert but his shot was cleared off the
line. Amos and Shaun Loft were both booked for
pressing foreheads together, as was Ricky Martin for a
reckless tackle on Robinson. Stuart Faith had a
looping header parried wide and Robinson had another
effort deflected just wide. Rye seemed happy to sit
back and try their luck with the wind in the second
period and this was a fruitful tactic.
On
49 minutes, McArthur strode through from midfield but
was denied by Joel Harding but 3 minutes later a long
ball caught Hassocks out and Justin Jirbandy held off
Richard Thompson to strike home from 12 yards to give
the home side the lead. Hassocks then struggled for
the next 15 minutes as Rye came at them but had a
great chance to equalise on 61 minutes, Sam Fisk
shooting well wide after beating the Rye offside trap.
The key moment of the match came on 70 minutes.
Robinson raced clear with just Movaffagh to beat, slid
the ball past the keeper, only to be cynically upended
outside the box. A free kick was given but
unbelievably referee Myers only produced a yellow card
instead of the mandatory red. With no keeper on the
bench it was a huge break for Rye and one which
incensed Dave John and the travelling Hassocks
contingent. James Laing replaced Matt Amos and on 80
minutes he gave the Robins a lifeline hooking in
acrobatically from Hibbert’s flick on from a Fisk
throw. On 86 minutes Robinson had the chance to win
the game, when he found himself clear and round
Movaffagh but once again his effort was scrambled
clear off the line. Deep in stoppage time, Robinson
hooked the ball over the head of Peter Harper and was
maruading in towards goal but he was stopped by the
flag of the assistant referee who hauled play back for
a tug on the shirt by Robinson. The free kick was
thumped in to the box and when the ball broke free
McArthur scuffed home an effort from 10 yards to send
Rye through and Hassocks away heartbroken.
Team;
Harding, Turner (Bates 75), Thompson, Marsh, Lear,
Faith, Fisk, Slaughter, Hibbert, Amos (Laing 73),
Robinson
Unused
subs: Ingham, Williams, Gander
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