Hassocks and Lingfield meet in the Peter Bentley League Cup for just the second time with a spot in the last eight of the competition up for grabs.
Their last encounter in this competition also happens to be the last time the two sides faced each other. It came in August 2015 when the Robins ran out comfortable 5-1 winners against their Division One opponents.
Bradley Bant scored twice for Hassocks that day along with Dan Stokes, Jonno Melia and Josh Hawkes but Lingfield have come on leaps and bounds in the intervening three years, culminating in their return this season to the top flight of the Southern Combination League after a four seasons absence.
They should never have been forced into leaving the Premier Division in the first place. In 2014, the FA moved them into the much more competitive Southern Counties East League along with Crowborough Athletic as part of one of their geographical shake ups.
While the Crows took to life in what used to be the Kent League with ease, it was less of a smooth transition for Lingfield as they finished 17th in the table in a season of struggle.
As a result, they resigned from the Southern Counties and were allowed to return to the Southern Combination League, albeit in Division One for the 2014-15 season.
Three seasons later and they’ve won promotion back to the top flight, finishing in third spot last season behind champions Little Common and runners up Langney Wanderers.
The Lingers have made a decent start to the season, winning three, drawing two and losing four of their games so far and on this form look well placed to avoid an immediate return to Division One.
They will arrive at the Beacon looking to improve their record against Hassocks. Lingfield have only ever beaten the Robins four times and all of those have come in the Premier Division since their first season in the top flight in 2008.
Before that, the two sides were semi-regular opponents in the lower divisions and Lingfield remain one of the few clubs that Hassocks have faced in every Southern Combination League competition, save for the Division Two Cup.
In total, there have been 21 past meetings with Hassocks winning 12 of those and the remaining five ending level. The Robins have scored 48 goals against Lingfield in that time although those figures are hugely massaged by the two Division One meetings in the 1994-95, which Hassocks triumphed 6-0 in at the Beacon and 11-0 away at Godstone Road, which remains the club’s record win in senior football.
Kick off this Saturday is at 3pm and entrance is priced at £6 adults, £3 concessions with under 16s going free.
