Hassocks take to the field for their penultimate Southern Combination League Premier Division match of the season with an Easter Monday visit to Culver Road to take on Lancing.
There isn’t much at stake for either side other than the chance to try and finish 11th in the table. At the time of writing, it’s a three battle between the Robins, the Lancers and Pagham so this clash between the former two of those three could have a big bearing in who tops the bottom half of the division.
While the Robins will be pleased with their season’s work after only escaping relegation out of the top flight last year due to ground grading, it’s been a bit of a mixed campaign for Lancing.
They began it by reappointing Ash Bailey as manager following Ringmer folding and his summer recruitment was impressive with a number of high-class signings including Jack Rowe-Hurst, Charlie Pitcher and free scoring Jack Langford arriving at Culver Road.
The Lancers began the season well and embarked on an impressive run in the FA Cup, knocking out Bostik League side Haywards Heath Town on their way to the second qualifying round.
By that time though, Bailey had stepped down and although Marc Pulling took over, he couldn’t stop several of the new signings leaving.
Pulling has done well to steady the ship since September despite having to embark on a mini mid-season rebuild of the squad and Hassocks will know they will be facing dangerous opponents at a venue at which they don’t have a particularly good recent record.
Since the Sussex FA installed an artificial pitch at Culver Road, Hassocks haven’t taken a single point from their trips to Lancing. You have to go back six years to find the last time they triumphed there, a 3-1 win in the 2013-14 season delivered thanks to a stunning hat-trick from Nathan Miles.
Mark Dalgleish’s side will have fonder memories of their last meeting with the Lancers. For reasons nobody really understands, Hassocks v Lancing was selected as a local derby fixture on Boxing Day but by the end of the morning, the Robins were delighted with the strange decision as they’d run out 3-1 winners through goals from Liam Benson, Phil Johnson and Jake Lindsey. They all came after Jonathan Lansdale had given the Lancers a 1-0 lead going into the break.
There is likely to be plenty of familiarity between the two sides. Rowe-Hurst has already received a mention for beginning the season at Culver Road and so did Bradley Tighe and Lewis Westlake, both of whom have since returned to the Beacon.
Liam Benson spent the second half of last season with Lancing before rejoining Hassocks in the summer and Josh Green was the Lancers’ number one when they lifted the Peter Bentley League Cup in 2016.
As for the hosts, former Hassocks favourite Michael Death could lead their line having joined Pulling’s side midway through the campaign from Loxwood and former Hassocks reserve team player Alex Bygraves has became a stalwart at Lancing after leaving the Beacon in search of first team football.
Kick off at Culver Road is at 11am and entrance is priced at £6 adults, £4 concessions and £2 for under 16s.
