Glaring misses but Hassocks still on easy street
by Chris Francis
Hassocks had no need to be anywhere near their best as they cruised through to the Vase first round proper with Saturday’s comfortable win.
That meant double good news for absent boss Micky Jewell who was attending his son’s wedding.
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Hide AdIn truth, Ringmer at present are a poor side, while Hassocks continued to struggle after some indifferent performances this season.
On Saturday they could even afford the usually reliable goal machine that is Phil Gault to fire blanks. He could easily have walked off with a hat-trick but thankfully could see the funny side after some glaring misses.
Late on when sub Chris Maynard fluffed a cross from the left, Gault shouted out: “Thanks, Chris, it saves me embarrassing myself again!”
The opening goal after 17 minutes probably well summed up the match. Mark Price’s second corner in succession reached the far post, where Nathan Cooper hit his shot into the ground and then Nathan Miles got the most unconvincing of touches which was enough to beat the keeper and defenders on the line.
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Hide AdNine minutes later Gault looked in an offside position when he forced a save from Lee Daubeney, who was unlucky not to keep out Price’s follow-up effort.
There did not seem much of a way back for Ringmer from there but to give them some credit, they never threw in the towel and kept battling through to the final whistle, even having a few half chances to get on the scoresheet.
But Robins, and Gault in particular, had more although it was not all down to poor finishing as Daubeney played his part in keeping his team still in with an outside chance.
He denied an out-of-sorts Jamie Hillwood when he was clean through and then did even better to keep out Gault’s effort from the rebound.
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Hide AdBut three minutes after that the keeper needed no such intervention as Gault inexplicably squandered a one-on-one when put through by skipper Cooper.
At least that miss was forgotten in less than a minute as Miles took over when others dithered to finish clinically after 67 minutes.
It seemed a linesman did not always get it right in denying the hosts other goals or, at least chances, with somewhat hasty flags for offside but Gault’s frustration continued as he was guilty of another glaring miss after Daubeney had denied Miles his hat-trick.
Gault then put a free header well wide but at least retained his sense of humour.
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Hide AdHassocks: Simpson; Bryant. Marsh, O’Callaghan, Devees; Hibbert, Cooper, Price (Ingham, 63), Gault, Hillwood (Maynard, 77); Miles (Booth, 84). Middy Starman: Nathan Cooper.
Ringmer: Daubeney; Arden-Webb (Macmillan, 14; McClean, 63), Rodgers, Mikolay, Sherriff, Lee, Courtenage, Bunn, Wilkinson, Trickett (Clifford, 63), Bolwell.