Hassocks host their second game of the Macron Store Southern Combination season with one of the title favourites Chichester City set to visit the Beacon.
The 2017-18 season was a good one for Chi. Although they finished sixth in the league, they were in contention for promotion until the final few weeks of the season and they added silverware to the Oaklands Park trophy cabinet, beating local rivals Pagham 4-0 in the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup final.
They also did what few Southern Combination League clubs manage and went deep into the FA Vase, staying in the national cup competition until the fifth round where they suffered a 1-0 defeat away at 1874 Northwich.
They kicked off their campaign on Saturday with an impressive 2-0 home win over Newhaven. First half goals from David Herbet and Joao Andrade ensured that Miles Rutherford’s side topped the table after match day one, helped in part by the five draws across the Premier Division. Hassocks were one of those after they were held 1-1 by Broadbridge Heath.
Chi will arrive at the Beacon with plenty of happy memories of facing Hassocks in Mid Sussex. They haven’t tasted defeat away at Hassocks since February 2013 when goals from Phil Gault, Ashley Marsh and Kieran O’Callaghan gave Mickey Jewell’s Robins a 3-2 win.
Since then, Chi have won six of the last 10 meetings, racking up 24 goals along the way. Hassocks have only one victory to their name in that time, a shock 2-1 success the last time the two sides met at Oaklands Park back in April. George Galbraith-Gibbons and Michael Death were the scorers that day as Hassocks all but ended Chi’s title hopes.
The last time the two sides met at the Beacon was in January. Three goals in the final 20 minutes from Lorenzo Dolcetti, Josh Clack and Scott Murfin gave Chi a convincing 4-0 win after Clack had earlier scored the first half’s solitary goal.
Despite Chi’s excellent record in the fixture of late, it is remarkably still Hassocks who lead the head-to-head. In 37 meetings, the Robins have won 16 to Chi’s 14 while there have been seven draws.
Kick off is at 7:45pm at the Beacon. Entrance is £6 adults, £3 concessions and under 16s go free.
