Five goals in 30 minutes: Hassocks stun Saltdean

Pat Harding, Jamie Wilkes, Liam Benson, an own goal and Alex Bygraves all found the back of the net before the clock had reached 3.30pm, giving the rampant Robins three points against their former head coach Brad Sweetman.

A little over seven weeks ago and Saltdean had come within seven minutes of eliminating Hassocks from the Sussex Senior Cup.

The Tigers led 2-1 and nobody watching would have begrudged them their place in the second round. They had been the better team.

Then top scorer Phil Johnson was summoned from the bench. Johnson hit a late equaliser, the game went to penalties and Hassocks squeaked through 6-5 from the spot.

There was to be no repeat on this occasion. From the first whistle, it was obvious that Hassocks were not going to allow Saltdean another result defying the 14 points and 12 places which separate the sides in the Premier Division table.

The Robins zipped the ball around superbly on a slick surface showing no signs of the heavy rain of recent weeks.

Saltdean goalkeeper Josh James was called into action within four minutes, pushing away a JJ Minty effort from the edge of the box after Sam Rogers and Harding had combined in releasing Jack Troak down the left to cross.

Two minutes later and Hassocks had the lead. Harvey Blake flighted a delightful a ball into the box met with a superb diving header from Harding. It was Super Pat’s first league goal at the Beacon since 2006.

That was the start of an intriguing battle between Harding and his former Burgess Hill teammate James, who made a string of good saves which prevented the opening 30 minutes becoming even more tormenting for the Tigers.

James did brilliantly to keep out a first-time Harding snapshot from a Troak cross on nine minutes.

Benson was foiled next but Hassocks did not have long to wait to add to their tally, two goals in the space of 180 seconds effectively winning the game before the 20 minute mark had been reached.

Tall striker Wilkes robbed ex-Robin Lucas Tyrrell of possession in midfield as Saltdean attempted to play out from the back.

The rangy Wilkes advanced with the ball into space, reached the edge of the box and drilled low and hard into the bottom corner to double the advantage.

A short corner routine undid Saltdean for the third Hassocks goal. Harding made a run from the front post to play a one-two with taker Joe Bull.

That gave raging Bull a better angle to cross from. When the Tigers could not clear their lines, Benson was on hand to volley home.

Another former Hassocks player in Jack Gardner had to make a good block to put a Blake piledriver off target at the expense of a corner.

Bull opted to deliver an inswinger this time which needed a strong hand from James to turn behind under enough pressure and contact from Benson to warrant a foul.

James certainly felt so and made the point very clearly to referee Harvey Ransome. Mr Ransome was not interested.

From the next corner, Benson simply stood still as Bull delivered. James though was in enough of a flap from the mere presence of the Hassocks striker to punch into his own goal and give the Robins a 4-0 lead.

It was from yet another corner that goal number five arrived. James made a sprawling save to turn Minty’s shot around the post following some nice footwork on the edge of the area.

Bull swung over the resulting set piece to the back post where captain Byrgaves arrived with a towering header.

At a run rate of five goals per half hour, Hassocks were on for a 15-0 win at that point.

That though was the end of their scoring thanks to a combination of important interventions from James and the Robins easing up on their sorry opponents.

James saved well again from Blake on the stroke of half time and made an extraordinary double stop from Troak as the game was about to enter the final 10 minutes.

Minty hit the bar in between those two saves and there was a strange moment when substitute Johnson went clean through, only to be wiped out by James in the box.

Mr Ransome concluded there had been no contact and therefore no penalty; this despite the fact that James needed lengthy treatment, implying he must have caught Johnson.

The only disappointment of the afternoon for Hassocks came when Alex Harris was denied a clean sheet on his return from illness with eight minutes remaining.

A cross from another ex-Robin Alfie Edmeads reached Mitch Hewens at the back post. His volley found a way to creep in past Bull, Bradley Tighe and Harris.

Hassocks: Harris; Blake, B Tighe, Bygraves, Bull; Minty, Rogers, Wilkes, Troak; Harding, Benson.

Subs: Johnson (Benson 55), Tennant (Rogers 55), S Smith (Bygraves 55), Reid (Harding 72), Frankland (Minty 72).