There’s a place in the semi finals of the Sussex Under 23 Challenge Cup up for grabs this season as Hassocks make the journey to Plaistow Road to take on Combined Counties League outfit Loxwood.
Hassocks have never before reached this stage of the competition. They’ve got here the hard way too, having beaten Isthmian League Three Bridges and reigning Southern Combination League West Division champions Horsham YMCA in the two previous rounds.
Both of those victories required extra time with the clash with Bridges going as far as a penalty shoot out. Loxwood meanwhile have seen off two of Hassocks’ West Division rivals, beating Southwick 3-2 before defeating Oakwood 2-0.
Hassocks will go into the game full of confidence and on their best run of the season. The Robins have won their past three games in a row – including a 5-1 hammering of Oakwood – to begin climbing the league table.
Loxwood meanwhile are 8th in their league with two wins and three defeats from their five games so far. Both clubs have suffered from a number of postponements owing to the unusually wet weather we’ve had this autumn.
The two sides haven’t met at this level since the 2015-16 season when Loxwood were a Southern Combination League club and ended up winning the West Division.
They had an outstanding youth set up at the time, led by current Brighton Under 18s boss Mark Beard. That year, the Magpies provided no less than seven players to the Sussex Under 18s Representative Squad who made history by reaching the FA County Youth Cup final against Liverpool with many of those starring for Loxwood’s Under 21s that year.
As a result, it was two wins for the Magpies. Liam Benson scored Hassocks’ consolation goal in a 3-1 defeat at the Beacon in January 2016 and although the Robins got a little closer to the champions in the return game a month later, they still went down 3-2 with Andrew Roberts and Stuart Faith netting. That turned out to be Faith’s last ever goal in Hassocks colours.
The winners this time will go onto face Horsham in the last four in the new year. This quarter final clash had been scheduled to take place two weeks ago, but it was understandably cancelled following the tragic death of Loxwood player Suel Delgado on the preceding Saturday.
Our thoughts continue to be with Loxwood at this difficult time following the loss of a young man who was clearly a very popular figure at Plaistow Road. Hopefully, this will prove to be an encounter that is a fitting tribute.
