Robins face Eastbourne Town… again
With the big freeze finally showing some signs of relenting, Hassocks will be hopeful of returning to action down on the Sunshine Coast against Eastbourne Town.
The two sides met only 11 days previously in the Sussex Senior Cup and with no football possible since that rather chilly evening at the Beacon, it means the Robins will have faced Town in back-to-back encounters.
Jude Macdonald’s side were triumphant last time out, winning 1-0 to progress to a third round clash with Bexhill United.
Hassocks though had plenty of chances to at least force penalties and perhaps even win the tie themselves.
It was a frenetic 90 minutes of football played at a fast pace and with both sides wanting to attack. A similar show at the Saffrons in Premier Division action will provide plenty of pre-Christmas entertainment.
Eastbourne Town this season
Eastbourne Town bid farewell to one of the longest serving managers in the Southern Combination League Premier Division when John Lambert stood down in the summer, being replaced by former Whitehawk boss Macdonald.
Under Lambert, Town had always been notoriously slow starters to the season before finding rhythm from autumn onwards and making a late charge into the title picture.
Having spent most of the first half of the campaign in mid table, Town are beginning to pick up. Last Saturday’s 5-0 win over Roffey moved them into eighth, one point and one place below Hassocks.
Their recent league form has begun mirroring their impressive efforts in cup competitions. Town made it to the third round of the FA Vase and the first qualifying round of the FA Cup.
Hassocks know only too well that Town are still in the Senior Cup and will fancy their chances of progressing to the quarter finals via a home win over Bexhill.
They also eliminated one of the title favourites Newhaven from the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup.
Hassocks v Eastbourne Town head-to-head
This is a fixture which Eastbourne Town tend to enjoy. Of the 39 previous matches, Town have won 24 with just nine Hassocks victories and six draws along the way.
Only once in Town’s current spell as a Southern Combination League club beginning in 2014 have the Robins tasted victory.
That came in the 2016-17 campaign. Phil Gault scored twice at the Beacon and former Town goalkeeper James Broadbent saved a penalty to secure a shock win for Mark Dalgleish and Phil Wickwar’s Robins.
To find the last time Hassocks won at the Saffrons, you have to go back even further to 2005-06. Stuart Faith scored the only goal of the game. Hassocks have earned a solitary point in nine subsequent Premier Division visits.
Last time Hassocks played Eastbourne Town
Frankie Chappell headed home with 13 minutes played thanks to some slack Hassocks marking from a corner and that was that as Town won 1-0 at the Beacon last Tuesday.
The Robins hit the woodwork three times whilst visiting goalkeeper Chris Winterton made some seriously impressive interventions.
It was not all one-way traffic though. Town had two good spells of their own in a game which ebbed and flowed, the first coming just after taking the lead and the second including an extraordinary Joe Southam save at full stretch to deny Leon Greig.
How to get to the Saffrons
The normal route to Eastbourne via the A27 and the A2770, following the road towards Eastbourne town centre.
Turn right into The Goffs just before reaching the main station followed by an immediate left into Southfields Road.
That is followed by another right into Dittons Road with the Saffrons on the left at the end of the road.
Admission prices are £7 adults, £4 concessions with free entry for under 16s.
