Just one week after their last visit to Lingfield, Hassocks are back at Godstone Road again for their penultimate match in Group C of the Southern Combination League Supplementary Shield.
Lingfield currently top the table with Hassocks two points behind in second. A home victory would therefore mean that Lingfield qualify for the semi finals as group winners; a Hassocks win will allow them to leapfrog the Lingers and take pole position with one match still to play.
You would have got long odds on this being the case before the competition began. Lingfield and Hassocks were both below their Group C rivals Horley Town and Crawley Down Gatwick in the regular Premier Division season and yet they have both excelled post-lockdown, losing only once each so far in their four games to date.
The Robins could consider themselves a little unlucky to have suffered defeat on that last trip to Surrey a week ago. There is much to play for this time around and you should be able to keep up with all the action over on our Twitter account.
Lingfield this season
Lingfield were a tough side to beat in the Premier Division during the regular season, losing just two of their 12 matches. Five ended in victories and five in draws, which bodes well for the hosts’ chances of qualifying for the semi finals as they know avoiding defeat against Hassocks will have them practically there.
The Robins in contrast either tended to win or lose. They had not drawn a game before December’s lockdown, winning six and losing seven. In the Supplementary Shield however, things have been much tighter.
Hassocks drew their first outing 2-2 against Crawley Down Gatwick; they should have had a point on their previous visit to Godstone Road last Saturday; and it looked like their midweek match again against Down was going to end level until the 89th minute, when Charlie Pitcher and Pat Harding suddenly popped up to score two quick-fire goals which secured a 4-2 success.
Hassocks’ record against Lingfield
Lingfield are one of the few clubs who Hassocks have met across all three divisions of the Southern Combination League. Their pairing in the Supplementary Shield means they have now faced each other in seven different competitons.
From 27 meetings, Hassocks have won 13, there have been five draws, and Lingfield have been victorious on nine occasions. It used to be a match which the Robins would look forward too as they racked up some big successes over Lingfield, but not so much in recent years.
Hassocks have not tasted victory over Lingfield for six games now going back to a 3-2 Premier Division victory in the early months of the 2018-19 season. The Lingers did a league double in the 2019-20 campaign.
Last time Hassocks played Lingfield
It was at times heated and Hassocks left Godstone Road feeling hard done by as a controversial penalty decision swung the game in the favour of the hosts, who ran out 3-2 winners.
Rhys White gave Lingfield a 19th minute lead, cancelled out by a Jack Troak rocket just before half time. The hosts then won a spot kick just past the hour mark when a shot cannoned into a Hassocks player’s shoulder from point blank range in the area.
Josh Biddlecombe duly converted from 12 yards and the Robins’ afternoon got even worse as less than 120 seconds later, Stephen Hodge made it 3-1. Pat Harding did pull another back late on for Hassocks but they could not quite force an equaliser and so Lingfield held on for three precious points, taking themselves above Hassocks to the top of the table – a position they have held ever since.
