Robins play just their second away game of the season with trip to the New Defence
After 12 home matches out of 13 to start the season, Hassocks play only their second away game of the campaign and their first on a Saturday with a trip to Horley Town in the FA Vase.
The Robins have made the most of such a run of games at the Hassocks Hotel Beacon Ground, sitting top of the Southern Combination Premier Division table.
Not that their lofty league position will count for much in the Vase. Hassocks do not have the greatest record in the competition, never going beyond the second round.
Horley will also provide stern opposition. The Clarets have not made the best of starts to their Combined Counties season, but that league is accepted as being much stronger than the Southern Combination.
A testing afternoon at the New Defence awaits the Robins as they look to move into the first round proper.
Horley Town this season
Horley currently sit 16th in the Combined Counties Premier South with two wins, two draws and seven defeats to their name.
Despite that lowly position, the Clarets are the third-highest scorers in the league with 21 goals. They have also conceded by far and away the most, leaking 29 at an average of nearly three per game.
It all suggests that Hassocks supporters making the journey north should brace themselves for a goalfest.
Horley Town v Hassocks head-to-head
Horley and Hassocks have played seven competitive matches against each other. The Robins have won only once, a 3-1 success at the New Defence in the Southern Combination Premier Division Supplementary Shield in April 2021 featuring a Charlie Pitcher hat-trick.
Town have won the other six, scoring 31 goals along the way. Another reason why there could be plenty of goals in Surrey this Saturday.
In FA Vase terms, this will be the third time Hassocks and Horley have faced off in the competition. Both games were won by the Clarets, 4-2 at the New Defence in 2016 and 6-0 at the Hassocks Hotel Beacon in 2019.
Last time Hassocks played Horley Town
It was another Supplementary Shield game as lockdown restrictions were lifted in 2021 at the New Defence which ended in a frankly absurd scoreline of 8-2 to the Clarets.
Charlie Pitcher and Pat Harding got our goals. For Horley, the scorers were – deep breath – Ryan Smith, Ryan Brackpool, Kevin Moreno-Gomez (2), Mario Quiassaca (2) and Adam Grant (2),
How to get to the New Defence
Exit the M23 at the junction for Gatwick Airport, taking the third exit at the third roundabout you get to, onto the Brighton Road.
After quite a way, the second left will take you onto Vicarage Lane, at the end of which you need to go left onto Lee Street.
Five lefts later and you will find Court Lodge Road, after which take the second right by Horley Leisure Centre which will take you into the carpark at The New Defence.
The ground is easily reachable by public transport. Direct trains run to Horley or you can change at Gatwick for a bus.
Kick off is at 3pm and the New Defence has one of the best Clubhouses around with a lovely elevated view of the pitch.
