Little Common win at Hassocks – here’s how both camps saw the SCFL premier clash

Here’s the report by Scott McCarthy for Hassocks FC…

Unfortunately for Hassocks, it turns out that what goes around really does comes around. 11 days after a 94th minute Phil Johnson winner completed a smash-and-grab raid on Roffey, the Robins were themselves the victims of a robbery.

Sam Cruttwell struck in the 100th minute of action with virtually the final kick off the game to give Little Common a 2-1 win at the Beacon.

Hassocks were also left cursing Common’s other Cruttwell, goalkeeper Matt, who pulled off a string of excellent saves over the 90 minutes.

Combine those interventions with some heroic defending and several other gilt-edged opportunities missed and the Robins’ wait for a first Premier Division victory against Common goes on.

The tone for a frustrating afternoon for Hassocks was set within a couple of minutes of kick off.

Leon Turner fed Jack Troak on the overlap and when his low cross was only half cleared by Common player-manager Russell Eldridge, the ball fell invitingly to Pat Harding.

The veteran striker hit a powerful drive which looked destined for the top corner until Cruttwell sprung to turn it around the post at full stretch.

Common took the lead shortly after. A clipped ball up the left channel got Sam Ellis to the by-line but when his cross was too deep, it looked as though the danger had passed.

Freddie Warren though had other ideas. Warren collected possession on the right and returned into the box where Ellis had ghosted in at the far post to volley past James Shaw.

Falling behind rocked Hassocks and Common enjoyed their best spell in the immediate aftermath of Ellis’ strike. A long throw was flicked on by Lewis Hole to Warren whose diving header hit the bar.

The ball bounced to Lewis Parsons, who was probably the one man Common did not want it to fall to five yards out from goal.

Parsons produced a centre back’s finish, succeeding only in scooping the ball up into the air where Shaw was big to punch clear under pressure.

Troak had to produce a last gasp sliding tackle on Warren to avert a quick break at the expense of another throw, which was bad news for Hassocks.

In came another missile won in the air by Hole. A game of pinball broke out in the area, eventually leading to James Miriam-Batchelor seeing a volley from point blank range blocked by the legs of Shaw.

The Robins began to reassert themselves largely through the probing runs of Troak down the left.

A promising break and cross proved too close to Cruttwell. Troak then tricked and teased Louis Walker to deliver another ball, this time palmed away by Cruttwell.

Harding collected and worked the ball left again to Troak. His second cross had to be turned behind by the outstretched leg of JJ Walker with Johnson lurking.

Troak’s next run forward saw him wanting a penalty but Walker had timed his sliding intervention to perfection, even managing to clear the ball off the Hassocks left back for a goal kick.

Nothing quite summed up the Robins’ day like what happened midway through the first half. Mike Williamson drove a perfect 30 yard through ball to Harvey Blake who drew Cruttwell from his line before squaring to Johnson.

Parsons produced a miracle block on the line from Johnson’s shot, James Westlake then leathered the rebound into the face of Walker, Harding fired at Walker’s legs and then Troak lifted the ball over the bar after charging into the box.

Following that scarcely believable passage, Bygraves headed over from a yard and Cruttwell pushed a Troak free kick straight to Sam Smith who shot into the trees.

Johnson did have the ball in the back of the net on the stroke of half time, only to be flagged offside after a neat finish from a Turner cross.

Hassocks finally had a legal goal on 59. Westlake drilled a ball over the top which Johnson latched onto, brought down expertly and beat Cruttwell to level the tie.

Any hopes that would lead to the floodgates finally opening were soon dashed when normal service was resumed. Westlake had a shot touched onto the post by Cruttwell. Johnson hit the same upright with an effort lobbed over Cruttwell from a Troak diagonal.

Smith was wide with a header from a Harding cross. Cruttwell smothered bravely at the feet of Johnson. Williamson stepped inside nicely but fired high, wide and handsome.

Substitutes Joe Bull and Liam Benson put half-chances the wrong side of the post and Cruttwell saved on the stretch from Troak followed by Turner heading the rebound too close to another Common leg.

Then came that sucker punch right at the death. Common earned a free kick 28 yards out and not to be outdone by Matt, Sam Cruttwell stepped up to drill the ball under the jumping wall.

It nestled into the bottom corner beyond the outstretched hand of the surprised Shaw, leaving Hassocks to wonder quite how they had lost.

Hassocks: Shaw; Blake, S Smith, Bygraves, Troak; Loversidge, Williamson, J Westlake, L Turner; Johnson, Harding. Subs: Benson, Bull (used), B Tighe, Wilkes, Frankland (unused).

SCOTT McCARTHY

and here’s the report from Little Common FC…

A Sam Cruttwell goal ten minutes into injury time saw Little Common make it three wins out of three as they defeated Hassocks on Saturday.

Sam Ellis returned to the Common line-up following a bout of illness to replace the injured Paul Feakins in an otherwise unchanged starting eleven. In an end to end opening quarter, the hosts carved out the first opportunity of the match but Matt Cruttwell was able to push Pat Harding’s effort over the bar.

It was Common who took the lead in the seventh minute when Ellis drove into the area and delivered a ball to the far post which was collected by Freddie Warren and crossed back towards Ellis who thundered a volley through the home keeper’s legs.

Common enjoyed a good spell of pressure and almost doubled their lead when James Miriam-Batchelor headed against the post following a Lewis Hole flick on. Miriam-Batchelor then saw a goal bound effort saved on the line when he combined with Hole once again.

As the half wore on, it was the hosts who looked the most likely to find the scoresheet next and an incredible triple block by Lewis Parsons and Louis Walker prevented what looked a certain equaliser.

Cruttwell saved well from a free kick before the rebound was ballooned over the bar and Common took a 1-0 lead into the interval. Hassocks started the second half brightly and equalised in the 58th minute when a ball over the top found the centre forward who prodded past Cruttwell.

Common found it difficult to get a foothold in the game and Cruttwell did well to push an effort onto the post before a header drifted wide. With ten minutes remaining Common were reduced to ten men following an injury to Miriam-Batchelor after they had just made their final substitutions.

Happy to see out the game for a point, they stood firm against the Hassocks pressure before mounting a break away of their own in the ninth minute of injury time leading to a free-kick on the edge of the area.

The kick was cleared to safety but from the resultant corner Parsons was fouled on the edge of the area and Cruttwell stepped up to drill the ball into the bottom corner of the net to clinch the points for Common.