Hassocks Under 23s return to action on Thursday night with their first ever meeting with Broadbridge Heath at that level of football.
This is the first season that the Bears have run an Under 23s side and they’ve made a mixed start to life, winning two, drawing two and losing three of their Southern Combination League West Division games.
They got their season off to a highly impressive start when beating reigning champions Pagham 3-1 at Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre, while their other league win came in game number two away at Midhurst & Easebourne.
Since then though they haven’t tasted victory, picking up just two more points in 1-1 draws with Arundel and Selsey, who are the only team to have beaten Hassocks in the league so far this season.
Heath’s last outing came a fortnight ago when they were well beaten in the Sussex Under 23 Challenge Trophy by East Division side Newhaven, who left the Leisure Centre with a 5-0 success.
The Robins also come into the game after a fortnight off, their last fixture having been a battling 3-2 win over Lancing that ensured they remain top of the table from Horsham YMCA on goal difference.
With YM travelling to bottom-of-the-table Mile Oak on the same day, Nigel Pearce and his side will know they will probably require a positive result against Heath in order to maintain their place at the head of the West Division.
The last time Hassocks and Heath met below first team level came in the 2015-16 season. Hassocks were members of the fledgling Under 21 league while the Bears were still running a side in the Reserve Premier when they were paired together in the Sussex Intermediate Cup first round.
Heath’s experience eventually won them the day as they triumphed 4-3 at the Beacon. Josh Newman scored twice for the Robins alongside James Littlejohn.
Littlejohn is one of several players in the Hassocks squad who could end up playing against Heath twice in the space of 48 hours – the first team also make the trip to the Leisure Centre on Saturday afternoon with a 3pm kick off.
Kick off for the Under 23s meanwhile is at 7.45pm.
