A depleted LVS Hassocks side were beaten 7-3 when they hosted a match against local rivals Newick House. A brace for Liam Pope and a Jack Duxbury-Watkinson strike was enough to restore some pride but not enough to win the match as Newick House played brilliantly and deserved their victory.
The match day MC Ben Raven surprised spectators when he announced the LVS Hassocks starting line up. The shock news was the absence of key players. It emerged soon after kick off that misbehaviour off the pitch meant that LVS Hassocks were a weakened outfit for the crunch local derby with Newick House.
The players who did take to the field looked amazing in their new purple strip. Their effort and commitment was brilliant as they battled hard against a talented Newick House side. Joe Bedding was in particularly fine form as he stopped shot after shot with his outstanding agility and reactions.
The game was dominated by Newick House, who passed the ball around with great accuracy and teamwork. LVS dug in, and defended with determination, but it was a matter of time before the opening goal. After a string of Bedding saves the ball was poked home and Hassocks were a goal down.
They were on the back foot for most of the first half, and if not for great goalkeeping, and some good defending from Josh Baker, Callum McCree, and Josh Gill their fate could have been far worse than it turned out. Newick House passed the ball well and had players who linked with each other to keep possession for long periods. Unfortunately Hassocks were limited to the odd counter attack.
Newick House extended their lead midway through the first half when a neat passing move culminated with an equally tidy finish. They were good value for their 2-0 lead and the young men in purple needed a response. They got it!
William Dunne and Liam Pope combined well as they attacked the Newick House defence. Dunne found Pope with a measured through ball, and the Hassocks captain and top scorer made no mistake with a great finish into the bottom left corner of the net. Hope was restored, and the LVS players could sense a smash and grab.
The latter stages of the first half saw the LVS players keep the ball with greater success and purpose. The midfield of Charlie Ries-Coward, Jack Duxbury-Watkinson, Liam Pope, and William Dunne were linking with each other and moving into Newick House territory far more frequently, and a few shots threatened to get them back on level terms. Up front Billy Tommey had some neat touches, before George Harris came on and stretched the opponents defence.
Joe Bedding, however, was far the busier keeper as he kept making top quality saves to keep Newick House out. He was also a valuable asset when it came to distribution of the ball, as he regularly found LVS players with long drop kicksand accurate throws.
Bedding's goal was finally breached just before half time as Newick House managed to restore their two goal cushion. A goalmouth scramble developed when heroic blocks and miss-queued shots sparked a mass meeting of players in such a small area. Eventually the ball was smashed into the net and the reds ran off in celebration. Moments later the half time whistle blew.
Half time score: LVS Hassocks 1-3 Newick House
The second half was a similar story to the first with large spells of Newick House possession making a comeback difficult for LVS. The effort levels didn't drop and every player in purple made the school proud with the competitive yet sporting manner in which they played. The players were grateful for the continuing enthusiasm displayed by their loyal supporters who cheered them on throughout.
Newick House were first to add to the scoresheet in the second half. A nice pass was played through and the ball was tucked into the net with little anyone could do about it. They then added to their advantage halfway through the half with a powerful long range effort. 5-1 and the contest was all but over. LVS were playing for pride and they managed to salvage it.
Jack Duxbury-Watkinson was played through on goal when Liam Pope showed super vision to play him in. Jack was coolness personified as he neatly dispatched his shot into the bottom left corner of the net. It was a well deserved goal for the energy that he had shown throughout the game.
Gregor Sumner and Cameron Ellis were performing well after their introduction to the game at half time. Sumner was constantly trying to make things happen by demanding the ball, and he played some nice passes. Ellis was showing great promise in an unfamiliar outfield position in defence. His tackling was well timed and he made great clearances with his feet and his head.
Newick House felt the pressure to put the game to bed, and they made it 6-2 when a nice team move resulted in a well taken chance. They were playing good football, and were scoring goals despite Joe Bedding's continued excellence in the LVS goal.
Hassocks hadn't given up, and to their credit they found another goal. Jack Duxbury-Watkinson repaid the favour to Liam Pope, when he played a ball through to him. Pope side stepped past a defender before striking the ball firmly into the top corner of the net from just inside the box.
Duxbury-Watkinson then created a chance for Pope a minute later, but this time the captain was unable to show the same level of composure and the score remained 6-3.
Newick House had the final word, as they scored with arguably the goal of the game. The ball was played down the right, and from a nearly impossible angle, their striker smashed the ball into the top corner on the half volley. It was a fine goal to cap a fine team performance from Newick House. LVS Hassocks congratulated their opponents at the final whistle, and could only wonder what might have been if circumstances had been different.
Full time score: LVS Hassocks 3-7 Newick House
The supporters clapped the LVS side off the pitch, as they saluted the effort and commitment of their team. Reporters circled the players looking to get reactions to the game. Man of the match Joe Bedding was unavailable for comment, and so Liam Pope spoke with the media.
The Hassocks captain was complimentary of LVS' opponents. Pope, "They are a good side and we have to accept that they played better than us today. Our boys didn't stop running and we can be proud of that. It is a shame that off the field matters had an impact on our performance on the pitch. I think with a full team we could have given them a real contest. Now we have to regroup and work hard in training to make sure that we get back to winning ways."
