Hassocks’ Sussex Bluefin Dennis Probee Under 18 Youth Cup adventure came to a shuddering halt against local rivals Burgess Hill Town at the Green Elephants Stadium.
This was always likely to be a difficult morning for Hassocks against one of the finest youth set ups in Sussex and so it proved.
While Hassocks will take on a Burgess Hill Under 18’s side in the Southern Combination League Central Division this season, this cup draw had thrown up the much tougher prospect of taking on Hill’s Isthmian League youth team.
The Hillians had been beaten finalists in this competition last year and based on this showing, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them go one better this time around.
They certainly didn’t have the best preparation coming into the tie. The game had been scheduled to take place a week previously before heavy rain left the Leylands Park pitch unplayable.
With County Cup ties taking preference over anything else, that meant that the game had to be rearranged for within seven days, even though Hill had a league match the following evening against Hastings United.
The prospect of taking on opponents who would face two games in 24 hours gave Brad Sweetman and his side a glimmer of hope that they could cause an upset.
The postponement had worked out quite well for Sweetman in other ways, too. His squad was looking a little threadbare the previous Sunday. The week’s delay therefore meant it was on paper at least a stronger side that he was able to take on the short journey north.
Hassocks showed just one change from the starting line up who’d hammered reigning West Division champions Haywards Heath Town 4-1 at the Beacon in their last outing three weeks ago.
Jack Gardner was unavailable and so Lewis Reep came in to take his place. Being without a player with first team experience in Gardner was a big blow, but even had he been present Hassocks probably wouldn’t have got a result against their classy opponents.
The final score was 3-0, a comfortable result for Hill who will now move onto face either Lancing or Rotherfield in round three.
Hassocks frustrations meanwhile boiled over at a couple of points with Alex Crawford and Luke Marshall picking up bookings. Worse was to come for Lewis Beebee who saw red, rounding off a pretty miserable day for the Robins.
Hassocks: Toby Fisher, Luke Marshall, Harry Meredith, Charlie Jones, Alex Crawford, Freddie Gamblin, Lewis Reep, Harrison Lees, Alfie Loversidge, Finlay McDermott, Lewis Beebee.
Subs: Yahya Azizi, Oliver Charlesworth (used).
