Crawley Down Gatwick are back at the Beacon for the second time already this season as they take on Hassocks in the Southern Combination League Premier Division.
The last meeting between the two came on a sunny August Saturday, with the Robins runnig out 2-1 winners to progress to the third round of the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup in an entertaining game that wasn’t short of controversy.
Down felt hard done by several of the referee’s decisions and they had a point as Hassocks did benefit from some of the more generous awards that we’ve seen at the Beacon so far this season.
That win for Hassocks extended their lead in the head-to-head between the two sides to eight wins to the Anvils five in 15 previous meetings. There have been just two draws, so this is not one that you’ll want to include on your coupon.
Although the Robins may have won that game six weeks ago, a much tougher test will lie in wait today with both sides coming into the game in flying form.
Down picked up an impressive 2-1 win over Eastbourne Town last weekend, coming from 1-0 down to defeat the visitors at the Haven thanks to goals from Nick Sullivan and Russell Malton.
That made it three wins, four draws and three defeats from their 10 league games so far, a record not too
dissimilar to Hassocks’ which suggests it should be a relatively tight game this afternoon.
Down currently sit one place above the Robins in the table as they look to continue on the upwards trajectory they’ve been on since appointing Paul Cooper as manager.
Cooper took over at a difficult point for the Anvils with the club having suffered back-to-back relegations from the Isthmian League into Division One of the Southern Combination.
He helped the club return to its routes after those three seasons in the Isthmian by putting together a squad of relatively young, local players who continue to defy the expectations by consistently shocking some of the bigger sides in the league.
They won promotion in 2015-16 and followed that up by reaching the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup final the following season.
Two midtable finishes have followed but on the basis of their showing so far this season, there is no reason why Cooper’s side can’t crack the top 10 this time around.
Hassocks hope to have Joe Bull back from injury after he missed the midweek Sussex Senior Cup exit away at Chichester City while Will Broomfield has resumed light training after a couple of weeks out with a hamstring problem picked up in the 4-0 win against Loxwood in mid-September.
The visit of the Anvils is expected to come too soon for Broomfield, with a return more likely to be nearer the end of October. The Robins Under 23’s playing away at Selsey on Friday night could also offer Mark Dalgleish some selection headaches.
Kick off at the Beacon is at 3pm and entrance is priced at £6 adults, £3 concessions with under 16s going free. The Robins Bar will be open throughout the afternoon with reasonably priced beer and the T Bar will have hot food and drink available for supporters.
