Hassocks 1-2 Beckenham Town - We strongly believe that it's in our hands and we're going to do everything we can to keep it that way and make sure it's a positive outcome, says elated Beckenham Town boss Del Oldfield, who ran 2k a day for charity

Hassocks 1 – 2 Beckenham Town
Location	The Beacon Ground, Brighton Road, Hassocks, West Sussex BN6 9LY
Kickoff	28/02/2026 15:00

HASSOCKS  1-2  BECKENHAM TOWN
Isthmian League South East Division
Saturday 28 February 2026
Stephen McCartney reports from The Beacon

BECKENHAM TOWN manager Del Oldfield says he’s feeling elated that his side claimed a massive victory in this relegation six-pointer and strongly believes that safety is in their hands and his players’ are doing everything they can to achieve a positive outcome.

Second-from-bottom Beckenham Town are now only eight points adrift of safety – with 13 Isthmian League South East Division games remaining – after holding on to beat fourth-from-bottom side Hassocks at The Beacon.

Since beating Crowborough Athletic 2-1 at Eden Park Avenue on 13 December, Beckenham Town have drawn five of their six games and put in a dominant second half performance in Tuesday night’s 2-2 draw at home to then fifth-placed side Faversham Town.

The acid test was could Beckenham Town handle the pressure of a must-win game away from home this afternoon - and the answer was YES! Just!

Admittally, they didn't reach the same levels as the second half against Faversham Town - but you must win relegation six-pointers and that's exactly what they did here today.

Beckenham Town dominated the opening 30 minutes against a Hassocks side that claimed back-to-back wins over Sheppey United (1-0) and Erith Town (3-0) and deserved their two-goal lead through a couple of free headers from centre-half Mudiaga Wanogho and central midfielder Tom Hever, 26.

However, Hassocks manager James Westlake – who guided his club to the Southern Combination League Premier Division title last season – pulled off a tactical masterstroke at the interval and his three substitutes turned the tide.

It took left-winger turned left-back Jack Troak only 153 seconds to slot home his seventh goal of the season and Hassocks dominated for all off the second half but a resilient Beckenham Town side received some big lucky breaks along the way before holding on, just, for their fifth League win of the season to give their chances of safety a massive shot in the arm.

“Sum it up? Not for the feint hearted,” admitted Oldfield, 50.

“Listen, I thought we was very dominant in the first half, obviously went 2-0 but to be fair to them, they had very much a lot of the second half, it not most of it and we was a little bit lucky, I thought. Maybe it was a little bit of luck we needed.”

When asked what his players gave him down near Brighton, Oldfield replied: “Not what they gave me in the second half on Tuesday, if I’m brutally honest!

“Listen, what they did give me today and showed me today was a resilience that maybe hasn’t been there at other parts of the season.

“I don’t think we’ve played our best football. I don’t think we’ve done enough smart things in the right areas, certainly at the end of the game when we’ve just got to put the ball in good areas and keep hold of the ball.

“But like I say, I hate to be too critical when you’ve just won but I suppose it’s also a good time to be critical.”

But today was all about taking a big three points back home – over the performance – and Oldfield agreed.

“One hundred percent, yes, it doesn’t matter. I say it (performance) doesn’t matter, of course it matters but paramount was the three points today and that’s no disrespect to Hassocks.

“This is down to both of our club’s positions in the League. I don’t think a draw would’ve done any of us any favours. They came at us and came at us and came at us and it was a little bit of a basketball match for the last 20 minutes of the second half but yes the three points was all that mattered today, nothing else.”

With the momentum from Tuesday night’s impressive second-half performance against Tommy Warrilow’s side, Beckenham Town were hungry with full of desire during the opening 30 minutes of this vital must-win game.

It appeared that Beckenham targeted Hassocks right-back Harvey Blake as Tyler Anderson (who partnered Alfie Bloomfield in attack) linked up well with left-winger Freddie Nyhus, whereas there was no recognised attack minded player onn the other side of the pitch.

Beckenham Town took the lead with their first of four shots on target, with five minutes and 30 seconds on the clock, after Hassocks’ central midfielder Josh Mundy was penalised by referee Jacob Wright to have fouled Hever on the left-touchline.

Right-back Joe Chalker (who tried to provide the width down the right-hand side playing as a high full-back), whipped in a quality delivery with his right-foot and Wanogho rose at the near-post to bury his free-header past the flat-footed goalkeeper into the top left-hand corner from 15-yards to score his first goal of the season.

“You’re being very kind with the free header! I think he’s headed it onto his own shoulder and it ended up in the top corner – but I could be wrong,” said Oldfield.

“I’m very pleased for Mudi, like I said this to you in midweek, certainly in the last few months, he’s been absolutely immense, so I think he got a little bit of what he deserved today with the goal to be honest because he’s been brilliant.”

Hassocks were a threat from set-pieces, with centre-half Dan Turner launching eight, mainly flat, long throws into the Beckenham Town penalty area during the game.

His first one was cleared away by Wanogho at the near-post before winger Matthew Daniel recycled the ball back into the box and holding midfielder Scott Faber hooked his right-footed shot across goalkeeper Carter Sullivan and just past the foot of the far post.

Beckenham Town left-back Makhaya James’ bullet header went down the line for the impressive Nyhus, who played a lovely through ball in behind Turner to put in Bloomfield, who took a couple of touches before trying to find the near corner from a tight angle some 15-yards out, which goalkeeper James Shaw dived to his right and pushed behind for a corner, with 16 minutes and 21 seconds on the clock.

“We’re trying to encourage Alfie to have more shots because he’s got a lovely strike on him,” said Oldfield, who is still waiting for the targetman to score his first goal of the season for him, after scoring six goals for Herne Bay.
 
“I go back to it, people are going to (say he should be scoring goals), as a striker, I suppose you are based on your goals a lot of the time but I can’t be more pleased for Alfie, for a squad team ethic, work-rate ethic because he’s knackered in there now because he ain’t stopped running, so fair play to him.”

Reflecting on Nyhus’ decent performance, Oldfield replied: “He takes instructions extremely well. He doesn’t always do what we want him to do first of all but we have a go at him a few times and he kinda gets it.  He’s a good lad Freddie. I’ve got no complaints with Freddie at all.”

Chalker recycled his own corner back into the Hassocks’ penalty area from within the left channel, which sailed over towards the back post where Jack Holland stabbed the ball into Harry Gamble, whose first time drive from 18-yards sailed over the crossbar.

Hassocks’ left-back Joe Bull liked going forward down the line during the first half before he was substituted and after Bull took the home side’s first of seven corners, Nyhus tried to break away down the right flank before his progress was stopped by Turner, who cut inside and sent his right-footed angle drive from 30-yards sailing over the top of the far post.

Beckenham Town missed a glorious chance to double their advantage, with 21 minutes and 22 seconds on the clock.

Bloomfield’s hooked pass was played in between Hassocks two centre-halves (Turner and Ben Shroll) to put Anderson through on goal but Shaw raced to the edge of his penalty area and used his legs to block Anderson’s right-footed low shot from point-blank range.

“I thought Tyler should’ve done better with that, if I’m honest,” admitted Oldfield.

“He’s through one-on-one, with Tyler’s pace I think the closest man to him was a yard behind him and he’s never going to catch him. 

“I think if he’s a little cuter there and pokes it either side, he’s going to get on the end of it and he’s got an empty net, but fair play, the keeper done well.”

When asked the extent of Anderson’s second half knock, Oldfield revealed: “Hamstring, more precautionary in the end, just because there’s no point in risking people at this stage of the season. We haven’t got a big squad as it is, so if he’s feeling it, he’s got to come off and we’ll have to asses him before Tuesday’s game.”

Beckenham Town deserved their two-goal lead when it arrived with 27 minutes and 22 seconds on the clock, scoring from their fourth and final shot on target.

Centre-half Jack Holland crossed the halfway line and pinged a long diagonal with his right-foot over to Nyhus on the other side of the pitch and he easily cut inside Turner before feeding Anderson down the left.

An unmarked Anderson easily cut into the penalty area and from a tight angle put the ball in towards a crowd of players at the near-post.

The ball looped up and the unmarked Hever guided his free-header into the top left-hand corner (once again Shaw was beaten over his right shoulder and didn’t move again) from eight-yards.

It was a rare headed goal from the former Welling United and Glebe midfielder, only his second goal of the campaign.

Oldfield said: “I was actually cursing Tyler at that point because I thought, especially where they’ve taken them all the way into the box, I thought he should’ve had a shot but again a little bit of luck and it’s fell straight to Tom’s head.

“Heading is not his particular strongest part of his game but he placed it into the top corner, so yes, I can’t complain.”

Hassocks started to regain some control on the game for the rest of the first half, however.

Daniel’s left-footed pass on the counter-attack fed ineffective central striker Morgan Vale, who played a left-footed pass out to Troak on the left and his low cross fizzed across the face of goal and James swept his clearance across his own goalkeeper and the ball flashed just past the foot of his own upright.

Bull swung in the resulting corner from the right and the ball was cleared out to Josh Mundy but the central midfielder lacked composure and drilled his first-time right-footed low shot through a crowd of players and harmlessly wide from outside the box.

Bull was enjoying his runs down the left for the home side and Troak got the better of Wanogho in the build-up as keeper Sullivan rushed out but managed to pluck Troak’s cross from within the left-channel out of the air.

James had his pocket picked by Daniel close to the half-way line and Beckenham Town received their first lucky break (34:36).

Quiet winger Daniel played Vale through on goal but a striker with only two-goals to his name this season, you sensed that he was not going to take a big chance.

Once inside the box he didn’t know whether to shoot or pass to a team-mate.  Instead the ball rolled across Sullivan and in front of Holland and past the far post.

“Makhaya got away with one there and he got told that at half-time as well in no uncertain terms – don’t do it again – in the nicest possible way,” revealed the Beckenham manager.

“Listen, it’s easy when you’re at our end of the table to complain about a lack of luck and this, that and the other but like I say, there was probably a couple of times today where we had the luck, so it all evens itself out in the end.”

Oldfield added: “To be honest, my initial thoughts as soon as we went two-nil up, are again about Tuesday’s game because literally that’s what I said to them at half-time.  This is the role reversed now (after Faversham Town were 2-0 up at the interval).

“The next goal’s important. We can’t afford to give away a goal early and what do we do? Three minutes in we gave a goal away and then that probably adds to the way we performed in the second half.”

Westlake rolled the dice at the interval and hooked Bull, Vale and Daniel and brought on Devon Fender (central striker), Zak Henry (right-winger) and Lewis Finney (left-winger), with Troak slotting in at left-back.

The changes brought the desired effect for Hassocks as they came out with all guns blazing and played the entire second half with a front foot attitude.

“Like us on Tuesday, we had to go for it and we did and we got our rewards and we were a little bit lucky today. They didn’t get their rewards but there’s been plenty of games where we have deserved stuff and never got it, so I’ll take that,” added Oldfield.

James brought down Henry, as he cut in from the right in towards the edge of the D and the referee awarded Hassocks with a free-kick in a dangerous position.

In fact in lead to Hassocks scoring their goal, timed at two minutes and 33 seconds.

Sullivan lined up a five-man wall and Henry stroked his left-footed free-kick around the wall towards the bottom far corner and Sullivan got down low to his right to push towards safety (2:17).

However, Beckenham Town failed to clear their lines properly from Troak's recyled cross back into the box from the left - and Troak chested the ball down and volleyed a fine right-footed volley (from about 15-yards on the angle) across/through a crowd of players and straight into the bottom far corner.

Oldfield said: “I thought we were a bit unlucky with their goal as well. Carter’s made a brilliant save and we haven’t cleared it properly, which was a bit of a problem today and then the ball’s gone through four people’s legs. That’s frustrating for me. We’ve got to defend better in those moments but listen, how can I complain?

“This is a (Hassocks) side that never give up. They’re a big, strong side, they do what they do well. They score a lot of goals from set-pieces, corners and free-kicks and thing’s like that and we’ve managed to keep them down to one and win the game, so I’ve got to be pleased.

“For me, as a defender, if I’m a defender, you’ve got to get something in front of it, whatever it is - but how many times did it hit someone in the box and not hit the net – and that time it didn’t.”

Dominant Hassocks were a threat from set-pieces as Finney floated a deep free-kick some 30-yards out, which was knocked on by Turner and the ball hit Fender inside the six-yard box and bounced past the right-upright (4:50).

A resilient Beckenham – with captain Holland leading by example at the heat of defence – put their bodies on the line and deserved their big slices of luck when the big moments fell Hassocks way.

Beckenham Town holding midfielder Henry Douglas was cautioned for a tackle on Jamie Wilkes inside his own hall and Mundy’s resulting free-kick was met by Turner’s free header just inside the Beckenham penalty area, which sailed across the goal and harmlessly wide of the far post.

Beckenham Town’s fifth corner was swung in by Chalker from the left, which was met at the back post by Holland, who looped his towering header over the crossbar from a tight angle – but Beckenham’s chances to kill the game off were very few and far between after the interval.

Hassocks kept loading the penalty area with balls and bodies and Finney put the ball in from the left and the impressive Henry hooked his left-footed volley looping over the crossbar from around the penalty spot (20:36).

Faber was cautioned for a tackle on Douglas and Oldfield sent on Will Grieveson (left-back) and striker Shaquille St-Louis Gordon.

Grieveson’s first touch was to stroke his left-footed free-kick sailing over the crossbar from 35-yards, aiming for the top far corner (27:34).

The problem for Beckenham was Bloomfield and Gordon failed to keep hold of the ball inside the Hassocks half of the pitch – despite their tall frames – and the ball kept coming back and coming back and coming back and it was inevitable that Hassocks were going to equalise and leave Oldfield and his players frustrated.

Sullivan’s goal was leading a charmed life and there were plenty of bodies inside his penalty area for Fender’s fizzed in a cross from the left, which was heading towards three of his team-mates on the edge of the six-yard box but somehow the ball rolled across the Dartford loanee goalkeeper and rolled past the foot of the far (left) post (31:55).

Turner’s fifth long throw was recycled back into the box by Shroll on the other side of the pitch, which was destined to sail into the top far corner, only for Sullivan to cherry pick the ball out of the air, high to his left.

Henry counter-attacked down the right before slipping the ball through to Fender, whose low angled drive towards the bottom near corner, was spilt by Sullvan, before the soon-to-be twenty-years-old Beckenham keeper gathered at the second attempt.

Carter made three saves, one more than Shaw at the other end of the pitch, and Oldfield was asked how he is settling in following his loan move from Isthmian League Premier Division side Dartford.

“Carter’s settled in really well, he’s a good lad. I thought it was one of his shaky, I say shaky but one of his shakier games today.  He’s doing really well. He’s adapting into what we want to do now and how we want to do it and he takes instructions well and he’s a very capable goalkeeper. He’s taking his first steps into senior football.”

The Hassocks bombardment was non-stop but maybe the tide is finally turning into Beckenham Town’s favour in this relegation battle when a big moment arrived with 44 minutes and 54 seconds on the clock, when Sullivan was beaten.

Mundy and substitute Shay Leahy linked up in midfield before Mundy pinged a long right-footed diagonal into a crowded Beckenham Town penalty area and Finney’s right-footed shot went through a crowd of players, across Sullivan but hit the far post.

“That tiny little bit of luck that we needed, possibly that we haven’t been getting, so I’m not going to complain,” admitted Oldfield.

“That’s the disappointing part (the ball kept coming back), that’s the part we know we have to try and say to the boys where they’ve got to do better, certainly the big players (up front, Bloomfield and Gordon).

“You don’t have to be big to do that but certainly as big players you do have to help your team out by helping us to get up the pitch, so they do have to hold onto it a little bit better but again I can’t really knock their endeavour and their work-rate and their effort.”

Beckenham Town favoured the right corner flag for large chunks of stoppage time (5:10) and they had one big chance to settle the game just 43 seconds into time added on.

With Holland – Beckenham’s man-of-the-match – shouting instructions out to Hever to head towards the corner flag – Hever ignored the former Bromley captain and put in a cross from within the right channel towards the far post instead.

An unmarked Gordon hit a right-footed half-volley across Shaw and past the far post from 18-yards, as Beckenham Town passed the acid test asked of them after Tuesday night, just, making it an enjoyable 16 minute post-match press conference with Oldfield, beside the clubhouse and the celebrations could be heard from the visiting dressing room on the other side of the brick building.

“Jack Holland’s vital every day and people don’t understand how important Jack Holland is, not just to this team but to the club and me and Rob (Carter, assistant) as a management team,” said Oldfield.

“His leadership on and off the ball. He’s just one of those players, you ask people to do the right things in the right areas, Jack Holland is that player.

“We made a slight tactical change bringing Makhaya off and putting Will (Grieveson) on (at left-back) and Shaquille (St-Louis Gordon) on, just to give us a little bit more height defending to deal with those problems (long throws) . We can only say it worked out for us today.”

With Crowborough Athletic winning 3-1 at Margate, Sean Muggeridge’s side are now in 14^th place in the Isthmian League South East Division table, with 39 points from 31 games.

Eastbourne Town appear to be dragged into the relegation dog-fight as they have picked up 38 points from 32 games, the same can be said about Sheppey United, as Ian/George Batten’s side are on 36 points from 31 games.

Hastings United – who beat relegated side East Grinstead Town 3-0 at The Pilot Field – have picked up 36 points from 33 games.

Erith Town – who suffered a 5-1 defeat at leaders Three Bridges (who are 11 points clear of AFC Croydon Athletic) are hovering above the relegation line with 31 points from 30 games.
 
Hassocks (29 points – seven wins, eight draws and 16 defeats), VCD Athletic (25 points from 33 games), Beckenham Town (24 points – five wins, nine draws and 15 points) and East Grinstead Town (five points from 33 games) remain in the relegation zone tonight.

Danny Kedwell’s AFC Croydon Athletic remain in second-place on 67 points (21 wins, four draws and seven defeats) from 32 games after beating fourth-placed Sittingbourne 3-1 at Mayfield Road today, as Reece Prestedge suffered his first defeat in 16 games since replacing Ryan Maxwell in the hotseat.

The Rams have won their last three League games and Oldfield takes his side there for a derby on Tuesday night.

“Let’s hope it’s after the Lord Mayors Show and we can…..It’s funny because I don’t think Croydon’s pitch suits them as a team, as players. That’s not being critical of the club. I’m actually praising the team because I think they’re better footballers than sometimes what their pitch allows them to be at home, so let’s hope the pitch is a little bit of a leveller and we’ll see how we get on.

“We’re heading in the right direction.  I think you can only look at our results and our positive results, we haven’t lost in 2026 so far. We’ve drawn four and won one now and thankfully all of the results, we kind of knew what might happen between Hastings and East Grinstead today. We wasn’t surprised by that but all of the other results went our way.

“So is the tide turning? I’d like to think so, I hope so!

“The good thing about a lot of this as well is we’ve got four games on VCD, so that’s going to be crucial and I think we’re only a point behind them now and we’ve got to play Crowborough and Hastings and we just need to keep picking up points, as many points as possible, in those games.

“Elated for the win, for the three points for the boys and the club. Automatically like, we’ll go straight to the Tuesday game now because we now play two games in a week and that’s now going to be our third in seven days, so we’ll have a look at who’s fit and who’s available and like I say, just hope that everything goes our way.

“I think there’s a good feeling around the team. We’re definitely leaking less goals than we were sort of December time.  I think we’ve only had that one game against Sittingbourne and there were quite a few errors in that game defensively - but the momentum’s good.

“As you can hear we’re next to the dressing room and we can hear it and they’re happy and this is the thing.  The funny thing is this group, they never know when to give up and like I said to you in the week, if you look at the League position and the points and the games in hand and this, that and the other, it can look extremely bleak.

“But it’s not bleak in our changing room. We strongly believe that it’s in our hands and we’re going to do everything we can to keep it that way and make sure it’s a positive outcome.”

Beckenham Town’s players must keep up their current momentum and pick up the victories to ensure Oldfield can steer them away from relegation trouble.

“I think we need at least six wins, at least six. That will put us on 42 (points). That might do it but it will be tight – but that might do it,” said Oldfield.

“Our fans, they’re brilliant every week, whether they’re home or away and the good thing about the Beckenham fans is that they stuck by us even though our winless streak.

“They didn’t stop turning up, didn’t stop paying their money. Listen, like any fan, they’re going to have their own ideas on how things should or shouldn’t be done but listen, it’s always done in the right way. I’m happy with them, they’re happy with us, thank God, thank God!

“I’m feeling much happier. I might even have a beer tonight and I’ve not been drinking because I’ve just finished 28 days of charity running, 2k a day for 28 days for Sands, the baby bereavement charity, so I’ve just finished today, so I’m going to treat myself to a beer tonight.

“The funny thing is you’ve got stress at the top end of the table and you’ve got stress at the bottom end of the table. The only place you ain’t go stress is that middle part of the table. The only problem with that is most of the time you’re not playing for anything, so you’re not sure what you’re going to get out of your teams for a lot of the time.

“We knew we had to win, we know we have to pick up points, wherever it will be at the bottom or chasing promotion like it was last year.”

Hassocks: James Shaw, Harvey Blake (Shay Leahy 83), Joe Bull (Lewis Finney 46), Scott Faber, Dan Turner, Ben Shroll, Jack Troak, Josh Mundy, Morgan Vale (Devon Fender 46), Jamie Wilkes (Harry Furnell 78), Matthew Daniel (Zak Henry 46).

Goal:  Jack Troak 48

Booked: Jamie Wilkes 30, Harvey Blake 41, Scott Faber 70

Beckenham Town: Carter Sullivan, Joe Chalker (Mark Marshall 83), Makhaya James (Will Grieveson 72), Henry Douglas, Jack Holland, Mudiaga Wanogho, Freddie Nyhus, Tom Hever, Alfie Bloomfield, Tyler Anderson (Shaquille St-Louis Gordon 59), Harry Gamble (Callum Corbin 72).
Sub: Dasho Emmanuel Oluwafemi

Goals: Mudiaga Wanogho 6, Tom Hever 28

Booked: Joe Chalker 19, Freddie Nyhus 38, Henry Douglas 57

Attendance: 436
Referee: Mr Jacob Wright
Assistants: Mr Steven Fogden & Mr Matthew Charles
Observer: Mr Graeme Ions