YM hammer high-flying Hassocks to ‘send out a message’

Nick Sullivan scored two of YM's five goals on Saturday

The win made it ten games unbeaten for Peter Buckland’s side in all competitions, their last defeat coming back in mid-September.

The hosts dominated from beginning to end, with the Robins failing to manage a single shot on target all game and YM boss Peter Buckland didn’t try to hide his delight afterwards.

“I’ve got a smile like a Cheshire cat and it’s going to take three or four days to wipe it off,” he beamed. “It was probably the best performance since I’ve been at the club. I am absolutely over the moon and that has sent out a big message. Down here at home we look invincible, it’s a fortress.”

Hassocks’ Anthony Hibbert failed to take advantage of a poor early clearance from Simon Lockwood, deputising for the unwell Sam Smith in the YM goal.

Prolific Robins forward Phil Gault was snuffed out all afternoon by the impressive Kevin Burgess and Matt Crane at the heart of the YM defence, his only chance coming on 15 minutes as he volleyed over.

Nick Sullivan and Dave Brown both had half chances before Liam Hunter headed YM in front on 20 minutes from Brown’s hanging cross.

Brown was soon at it again, mesmerising the Robins full back with pace and trickery, though no one could add the finish to his shot across goal as YM went into the break just 1-0 up.

Any danger that the hosts would pay for missed chances however was soon dispelled when Dan Sullivan scored on the rebound after brother Nick’s powerful shot had been saved on the hour.

Nick Sullivan lobbed in a third before the striker doubled his tally by slotting home a Brad Curtis pass, and though he was denied his hat-trick by a Harris save, there was time for Brown to rifle in a fifth from the edge of the box to complete the rout.

Buckland added: “I think I’m right in saying that Hassocks had lost only one game, and I don’t think I’m being over the top when I say we took them apart. They never had a shot on target and our back four looked as sound as I have ever seen.

YM (4-2-3-1): Lockwood, Wood, Burgess, Crane, Evans, Dugdale, Hunter (O’Carroll 76), Brown, D. Sullivan (M. Smith 81), Hutchings (B. Curtis 67), N. Sullivan.