Unbelievable scenes were witnessed at the Triangle Leisure centre on Friday 17th June. LVS Hassocks played their annual fixture against Ealing, Hammersmith, and West London College. Trailing 4-1 with just 10 minutes to go, the Hassocks players remarkably stunned their visitors by drawing level and then winning the contest 5-3 on penalties.
It was match reminiscent of Liverpool's famous night in Istanbul, where the Premier League giants overcame a three goal deficit to lift the Champions League trophy. LVS Hassocks started slowly and found themselves 3-0 down very early in the match. Ealing, Hammersmith, and West London College had some technical players and were playing some great football. Wave after wave of attack reaped reward and they could be forgiven for believing the match was just a formality. Beth Farr then struck with a powerful left foot drive into the bottom corner for Hassocks. It was a warning shot to EH&WLC, who lifted their game again and found the net to make it 4-1.
Despite the unflattering scoreline, Hassocks had been playing some good football of their own. Joe Goatley, Steven Bagnall, and Cameron Ellis had been showing good defensive resilience, and Shayan Pourani who had shifted position to play as a goalkeeper was making some great saves to keep the score down. In midfield Gregor Sumner, Isaac Cleeve-Bright, and Beth Farr were making telling contributions as they tried to get their side back in the game. George Harris was a constant threat for LVS, and debutant Amir Al-Uzri's unpredictable style of play was clearly causing the opposition concern.
It took until the final ten minutes of the match for the drama to commence. Beth Farr put EH&WLC on edge when she found the goal again with a great finish. The pressure ramped up and Hassocks created chance after chance as the game became a defence against attack match. EH&WLC heroically defended their goal making last ditch tackles and goal line clearances. Finally with three minutes remaining the pressure told and Isaac Cleeve-Bright made it 4-3. A square pass from the left was bundled home by the midriff of the talented midfielder. Queue panic stations among the EH&WLC ranks. That goal gave Hassocks hope of achieving the seemingly impossible. They surged forward in determination. The ball fell to feet of Cameron Ellis on the edge of the box. This time last year, Ellis had a last minute chance to win the game, which he unfortunately struck over the bar. This time he didn't make the same mistake again. He powerfully hit the ball and watched on as it rebounded off the underside of the crossbar, bounced on the ground below and flew up into the roof of the net. Pandomonium ensued as Hassocks players, coaches, and fans couldn't quite believe what they had witnessed. The comeback of all comebacks. The final whistle blew and it took some time for the Hassocks players to compose themselves ready for the penalty shoot-out. Full time score: LVS Hassocks 4-4 Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College.
Penalties are alwasy a lottery but the psychological edge was clearly with the hosts as Hassocks could arrived at the shoot-out with a great deal of positivity due to their impressive comeback. Isaac Cleeve-Bright expertly smashed the ball into the top corner of the net. EH&WLC hit back to level. George Harris then made no mistake from the spot, before the reds levelled the shoot-out again. Beth Farr calmly slotted home, and then the defining moment came. Farr produced a great save to give Hassocks the advantage. 3-2. Cameron Ellis then found the net, before EH&WLC kept their hopes alive by tucking away their penalty. It was all down to Hassocks winger Gregor Sumner. Score, and the game was won. The talismanic captain re-aranged his hair band to keep his hair out of his eyes, and then unleashed a ferocious strike that flew into the top corner. 5-2 on penalties. Sumner reeled away in celebration and was embraced by his ecstatic team-mates. Unbelievable!
After the match delighted Hassocks coach Donny Rogers gathered his thoughts and praised the efforts of both sides, "It was a great advert for football today. Ealing, Hammersmith, and West London played so well at the start of the game. They were running rings around us and were unlucky not to win the match. Credit to our players though. They never gave up even when it looked like they were going to be on the receiving end of a high score. They showed great character and determination to comeback and win the game in the manner they did. It just goes to show that if you keep on going when things get tough you can turn difficult situations around. It was brilliant. Matches like these really do the learners at Hassocks a great deal of good, and allow them to thrive and work together as a team."
Defender Joe Goatley was pleased with his sides comeback, "I couldn't believe it when we equalised. We were 4-1 down and looked out of the game completely and then we came back to win. What an amazing feeling. We never stopped trying even though it looked like a lost cause, and we were rewarded for that hard work. Everyone played so well. Hopefully we can play some more matches soon."
LVS Hassocks 4-4 Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College (LVS Hassocks won 5-3 on penalties)
