Hassock host Loxwood in last home game before Christmas
The Beacon hosts its final home game before Christmas with Hassocks welcoming Loxwood in a battle of the birds.
Kick off is at 2pm as the Robins look to extend their unbeaten run to five games against an improving Magpies outfit.
Hassocks had seemed on course to suffer defeat last Saturday, trailing 2-0 at Bexhill United as late in the day as the 88th minute.
Goals from tall striker Jamie Wilkes followed by a 95th minute equaliser via a deflected Josh Mundy effort rescued the most unlikely of 2-2 draws, taking the Robins level on points with Southern Combination Premier Division leaders Crowborough Athletic.
The visit of Loxwood will surely not match the drama levels seen at the Polegrove… will it?
Loxwood this season
A summer change in the dugout saw Loxwood appoint former Kingstonian and Corinthian Casuals coach Peter Barkley as their new boss, bringing with him the cameras from YouTube channel Bunch of Amateurs.
But after just one win through their opening nine games, the Magpies opted to replace Barkley with Roffey’s Division One title winning manager from 2022, Andy Lampard.
Lampard had moved to the Nest as part of Barkley’s coaching staff after a year out of the game. His promotion has seen an upturn in results for Loxwood, starting with an eye catching 4-3 victory over promotion favourites Haywards Heath Town.
The Magpies have subsequently won four of their last seven Premier Division matches, moving eight points clear of the bottom two and with eyes now firmly fixed towards the top 10.
Hassocks v Loxwood head-to-head
Hassocks and Loxwood first clashed in the 2014-15 season when the Magpies made their Premier Division bow after a quickfire rise from the West Sussex League.
There have been 17 meetings since then, all of which have come in the bread and butter of league football.
The Robins’ record reads five wins, four draws and eight defeats. After a relatively sluggish start in terms of entertainment, the fixture has now provided 30 goals in the past five matches with increasing levels of feistiness because of the links between the clubs.
James Westlake serving as assistant to former Robins midfielder Spencer Slaughter during his time as manager at the Nest means a number of players have swapped Loxwood for Hassocks since that duo returned to the Beacon as players in the autumn of 2021.
In no particular order, the Robins’ ex-Loxwood contingent includes Fraser Trigwell, Sam Smith, Westlake, Lewis Westlake, Tom Frankland and Leon Turner.
Loxwood for their part could call upon former Robins Harvey Enticknap, Kieran Dimelow and Dan Webster, whilst Alex Harris is the Magpies’ goalkeeper coach.
Last time Hassocks played Loxwood
Hassocks made the trip to the Nest for their first away game of the season on a pleasant Tuesday night back in August.
Tom Frankland opened the scoring with a stunning free kick against his former club, followed by second half goals from Liam Benson and a Pat Harding penalty to secure a 3-0 success.
Matchday information
Kick off is at 2pm and admission is £8 adults, £4 concessions and free for under 16s. Both card and cash payments are accepted on the turnstiles and in the Clubhouse.
The T Bar will be open serving hot food and drink, and the Robins Bar was a wide selection of craft beer from local breweries along with other alcohol. Dogs are welcome and a printed programme will be on sale for £1.
If using Google Maps to walk from Hassocks Station or the village, please do not take the footpath into Butcher’s Wood. There is no crossing point over the railway line or way of entering the Beacon.
Instead, follow Keymer Road towards Hurstpierpoint, turn left at Stonepound crossroads and walk down London Road towards the ground.
