After three long months, competitive football returns as Hassocks make the trip to Crawley Down Gatwick for the first game of the Southern Combination League Premier Division Supplementary Shield.
The Robins have been drawn in Group C of the 16 team competition alongside Down, Horley Town and Lingfield. Every team will play the other sides in the group twice with the top club progressing to the semi finals to be played in May.
All of Hassocks’ matches will be played away from home. The club took the decision to use the cancellation of the regular season to get ahead with planned pitch maintenance work, meaning that the Beacon is unavailable as improved drainage is installed.
Unfortunately, no supporters are currently allowed to attend in line with current government and FA guidelines. We hope to be able to keep you up-to-date with proceedings at the Haven through our Twitter account.
Crawley Down Gatwick this season
Crawley Down were enjoying a good season before fixtures ceased in December, sitting sixth in the table at the time of curtailment with seven wins, one draw and three defeats from their 11 matches played.
The Anvils had embarked on a memorable FA Cup run too, eliminating two sides from outside the Southern Combination League in Crowborough Athletic and Egham Town, before exiting in the first qualifying round in a close fought 2-1 defeat away at Southern League Premier Division club Hendon.
A familiar name sits at the top of the Down scoring charts; ex-Hassocks striker Phil Johnson leads the way with seven goals from 17 appearances following his summer move from the Beacon to Haven along with Harvey Blake. Both players will be coming up against the Robins for the first time since their departures.
Hassocks’ record against Crawley Down Gatwick
The clubs first met at senior level in the 2005-06 season when an Anthony Hibbert goal gave Hassocks a 1-0 Sussex RUR Charity Cup win over Down, who played a division below the Robins at the time.
Over the past 15 years, there have been 19 matches with Hassocks leading the head-to-head thanks to nine victories. Down have won seven, leaving three draws – so this is not one you want on your coupon.
Stalemates might be in short supply but goals never are. 74 have been plundered at an average of nearly four a game, including 15 in the past three encounters.
Last time Hassocks played Crawley Down Gatwick
The pandemic means that you have to go back to November 2019 to find the last time that Hassocks and Down crossed swords. It was the Anvils who came out on top that afternoon, winning an entertaining clash 3-2 at the Haven.
A long afternoon looked in store for the Robins as they were 2-0 behind in a little over half hour to goals from Billy Wraight and Ollie Moore.
Hassocks though kept battling and pulled one back through Andy Whittingham before half time, the left back scoring his first goal for the club in his 80th appearance and just the nine years and two months after his debut.
The Robins shocked the home crowd by levelling things up within five minutes of the second through Jamie Hillwood but parity lasted just seven minutes before Joe Holvey hit what proved to be the winner for Down.
