Shaun Saunders and Whitehawk visit the Beacon in penultimate pre-season friendly
Hassocks will face another test against Isthmian League opponents in their penultimate pre-season friendly against new-look Whitehawk.
The Hawks have been even busier than Hassocks in terms of summer recruitment. New boss Shaun Saunders has brought in a number of players who he worked with during his seven years at Haywards Heath Town, which will give the visitors to the Beacon a very familiar look to Mid Sussex football watchers.
Whitehawk endured something of a difficult season in 2021-22. They finished in 16th place in the South East Division, avoiding the bottom two by six points. It was the Hawks’ lowest placing since they won the Southern Combination League title in 2010.
Saunders has subsequently been brought in with the aim of pushing the Hawks back towards the promotion picture. He looks well placed to do so, given that Haywards Heath were in a playoff spot when he was controversially replaced in the Hanbury Park hot seat in the Spring.
That means that Whitehawk will provide another good examination for the Robins, hot on the heels of Tuesday night’s Ann John Trophy game with Burgess Hill Town.
The Hillians needed a controversial penalty to win the tie 2-1, converted by Lewis Finney. Hassocks would have been pleased that the margins between themselves and their higher-division opponents were so fine. How close can they get to the Hawks is the next question.
This will be the first meeting between the sides since the summer of 2016. Mark Dalgleish and Phil Wickwar took Hassocks to the TerraPura Ground for a friendly with three divisions separating the clubs at the time.
Whitehawk showed why they had just finished fifth in National League South, swatting aside the Robins 6-0. Danny Mills netted a first half hat-tick along with goals from Ahmed Abdulla and Kleyton Agostini to send the Hawks into the break 5-0 up.
Hassocks competed far better in the second half with the only goal for the hosts coming from A Trialist to complete the rout.
The last time the Robins faced Whitehawk in a competitive game saw Hassocks pull off a Sussex Senior Cup shock in 2010. The Hawks were the reigning Southern Combination champions and would go onto finish third at the end of their debut Isthmian campaign.
A 2-1 second round win for Hassocks provided one of the surprises of the competition. Spencer Slaughter and Dan Smith got the goals for Mickey Jewell’s Robins.
It proved to be Whotehawk’s only Sussex Senior Cup defeat between 2010 and 2012 as they won the competition in the first final held at the Amex the following season.
Saunders could name two former Robins in his squad to visit Hassocks. Youth team product Nathan Cooper has followed his former Haywards Heath boss to the TerraPura Ground, via a brief spell at Saltdean United at the end of last season.
Cooper played 77 times for Hassocks between 2011 and 2014 after coming through the Under 18s and reserve sides. He scored six goals from midfield but has since been converted into a central defender.
Nathan Stroomberg spent the 2017-18 season at the Beacon having signed from Lewes to gain experience in senior football. Stroomberg made 21 appearances for the Robins.
Kick off is at 3pm and admission is by pay-what-you-can-afford donation. The Robins Bar will be open selling alcohol including a range of local craft beer, and the T Bar will have hot food and drinks. Dogs are also welcome at the Beacon.
