The wait is almost over. Hassocks will kick off their 2019-20 Southern Combination League Premier Division season this coming Saturday away at Horley Town with a 3pm kick off.
It will be somewhat of an historic occasion at the New Defence. This will be the Clarets’ first fixture in the league following their summer move from the Combined Counties Premier Division.
Horley finished 10th last season, a good achievement in a league that is often considered to be stronger than the Southern Combination given results in national cup competitions.
Hassocks for example haven’t tasted victory against a club from outside the Southern Combination in the FA Cup or Vase since defeating Farnham Town 3-2 in September 2010.
That points to the tough task ahead for the Robins on their journey north. Horley were responsible for one of those aforementioned cup exits when Hassocks went down to a 4-2 defeat at the New Defence in the first qualifying round of the Vase in 2016.
The hosts had the tie all but won inside of 30 minutes after a blistering start in which they stormed into a 3-0 lead. Kyle Hough opened the scoring with just seven minutes played when heading home a Mark Bevan cross from the left.
Seven minutes after that it was two in virtually identical circumstances, the only difference being this time the ball came in from the right hand side via Hough with Ryan Brackpool the gleeful recipient.
Goal three had a helping hand from the referee as he incensed Hassocks by missing a clear foul on Jordan Badger as the defender attempted to clear, with the result being the loose ball being fired home by Richard Whetton.
Hassocks belatedly began to play after that but had nothing on the score board to show for their efforts when Horley added a fourth with 15 minutes remaining as Whetton headed home a Liam Cox cross.
The Robins did at least add an air of respectability in the final 10 minutes, Jamie Hillwood firing home from the edge of the box and then Josh Hawkes converting from the spot after Hassocks were finally deemed worthy of a penalty – they’d earlier been denied two of the most clear-cut spot kicks you will ever see.
That meeting remains the only competitive clash between the two sides to date. There have been a couple of pre-season friendlies with the Clarets having visited the Beacon in July 2012 and the Robins going to Horley prior to the 2009-10 campaign.
There are also a few players who have played for both sides down the years. Hassocks Reserve and Third Team legend Steve Spies played for Horley before he moved to the Beacon while defender Lee Bryant joined the Robins from the New Defence in 2012, going onto play 44 times over a season-and-a-half for Hassocks.
