STILL NO LOVE FOR FA CUP AS ROBINS BARREN RUN GOES ON
It may be the world’s most romantic cup competition, but Hassocks won’t feel any love for the FA Cup after their winless run in the competition was stretched to five years.
You have to go back to 2013 to find the last time Hassocks won an FA Cup game. That was in the Preliminary Round stage when the Robins eliminated Dorking Wanderers in a replay.
They went onto give Isthmian League side Chipstead a real fright in the next round before succumbing to an unfortunate 2-1 defeat. Since then, the cupboard has been bare.
True, Hassocks didn’t enter for two seasons in 2015-16 and 2016-17, but their three other adventures have all ended in the Extra Preliminary Round stage, the latest of which was against Southern Counties East Premier division outfit Erith Town at the Beacon.
Both sides came into the game with identical league records of one point from two games. Erith opened their campaign with a 4-2 defeat to K Sports, who Hassocks will host in the FA Vase in three weeks time.
They followed that up with a 1-1 draw against Glebe at the Erith Sports Stadium in their first game at their traditional home ground for five years. Since 2013, they’ve ground shared firstly with Cray Valley PM and then VCD Athletic.
Understandably, the return to Erith has given the Dockers a real boost this season and as a result they arrived at the Beacon in buoyant mood to take on a Hassocks side fresh from a 6-0 hammering at the hands of Chichester City in midweek.
You’d have thought that the momentum would be with the visitors then but it took just seven minutes for Hassocks to upset the apple cart, Spencer Slaughter opening the scoring with his first goal of the season.
Slaughter was one of three changes made by Robins boss Mark Dalgleish. The other saw Will Broomfield come in for his first start of the season at the expense of Dan Webster while Harvey Blake was handed a full debut in place of Harry Mills after two promising cameos from the bench since his summer move from Mid Sussex League side Sporting Lindfield.
The lead was short lived as within three minutes, Erith were level through Alex Nelson. They went into half time 2-1 ahead, Luis Valencia adding the visitors second on 24 minutes.
Whatever Dalgleish said to his side at half time had the desired effect as Hassocks were much the better side at the start of the second half.
The Robins were knocking on the door without ever quite managing to force it open until they were awarded a penalty in the 65th minute.
That proved to be the turning point in the game and not in the way that Hassocks would’ve hoped as the otherwise outstanding Slaughter saw his spot kick kept out by the visiting goalkeeper.
It knocked the wind from the Robins sails somewhat and they never really recovered despite throwing on the lively Joe Bull for his debut from the substitutes bench, the former Whitehawk youngster becoming the 299th player to represent Hassocks in the Beacon era in the process.
Still, Hassocks harboured hopes of earning a trip to South East London for a Monday night replay right up until the 89th minute when Valencia finally put the Robins out of their misery with his second and Erith’s third of the afternoon.
That set the Dockers up for a meeting with Hassocks’ fellow Southern Combination League Premier division side Loxwood in the next round.
For the Robins, it is back to the drawing board as they will have to wait at least another year to try and end their FA Cup hoodoo.
Hassocks: Alex Harris; Harvey Blake, Jordan Badger, Will Broomfield, Bradley Bant; Jack Wilkins, Spencer Slaughter, Dan Stokes, Jake Lindsey; Alex Spinks; Liam Benson.
Subs: Joe Bull (used), Harry Mills, Jake Atherton, Dan Webster, Ryan Collins, Joe Russell (unused).
Starman: Spencer Slaughter.
