Hassocks are on the road again this Tuesday night as they make the trip to the Lashmar to take on East Preston in Southern Combination League Premier Division action.
The Robins will held west in good spirits, having won four of their last six games. It’s the best run the side have been on for nearly a year and comes with an 11 day break in their fixtures currently scheduled for afterwards.
This is EP’s second season back in the top flight following their promotion from Division One at the end of the 2016-17 campaign.
Survival was the name of the game last time out and they achieved that comfortably in the end, Bob Paine’s young side ending up in 13th spot, some 17 points clear of the relegation zone.
There were some real highlights along the way, including inflicting Peacehaven & Telscombe’s first defeat of the season and taking Brighton and Hove Albion Under 23s to extra time in the Sussex Senior Cup.
They’ve started this season in similar style to the Robins and both sides have two league wins on the board from six game. EP currently sit six places above the Robins having drawn two and lost two of their other games.
They’ll come into this one bouyed by a 7-1 weekend win against struggling Eastbourne United. Daniel Huet hit a hat-trick in that one and he leads the scoring charts with four goals. David Beaney, Cian Griffin-Tilley and a brace from Ryan Quirke were the other scorers.
There have been 41 meetings between the two sides with Hassocks winning 13, nine draws and EP tasting success on the remaining 19 occasions. EP are normally good for a goal or two in the fixture as well, having scored 79 times.
Last time the two sides faced off was back in February and it was a case of two players at very different ends of the age spectrum shining as the sides drew 2-2 at the Beacon.
40-year-old Phil Wickwar had to done the gloves because of a goalkeeper crisis and took the man-of-the-match plaudits for a string of excellent saves while it was 17-year-old Jake Lindsey’s 87th minute equaliser that rescued a point for Hassocks. Michael Death had opened the scoring on 10 minutes with Quirke getting both of EP’s goals.
Hassocks’ last visit to the Lashmar came in August last year and ended in 1-0 defeat. The game was notable because of an injury to referee Gary Hamilton just past the 10 minute mark.
Hamilton was replaced in the middle by his assistant Chris Porter with Hassocks midfielder James Westlake, watching due to injury, answering the plea for any qualified referees to help the game continue by running the line. Given the final score, Hassocks probably wished the game had not been able to continue.
Kick off is at the earlier time of 7.30pm at the Lashmar.
