In Hassocks’ final home game before Christmas, the Robins welcome the Southern Combination League’s FA Vase heroes AFC Uckfield Town to the Beacon.
It’s been a whirlwind couple of seasons for the Oakmen as they’ve started to establish themselves as part of the furniture in the top flight of the Southern Combination Premier Division.
After being spared relegation to Division One only by ground grading at the end of the 2016-17 season, AFC Uckfield Town haven’t looked back.
They finished in 14th spot last season although that was with a nine-point penalty – without that deduction, it would have been a 10th place finish which would’ve been close to their highest ever.
They’ve taken that impressive form into this season and have a victory over Eastbourne Town to their name as well as having claimed points from title chasing duo Saltdean United and Newhaven.
Those results have left Uckfield in a lower mid-table position at the time of writing but with games in hand on every side around them.
The reason they’ve played less times than every other team in the division is because they are enjoying their best ever run in the FA Vase.
The Oakmen are the only Southern Combination League side to have made it to the fourth round of the competition, having defeated Sutton Common Rovers 5-2 10 days go.
That result leaves them just 360 minutes from a potential Wembley final, with a home tie against Windsor to come on Saturday 5th January and everybody at the Beacon wishes them the very best for that tie.
A lot of Uckfield’s success this season has been based around attacking football and they have two of the division’s top marksman among their ranks in Callum Smith and Matt MacLean who have plundered 16 goals in the league between them so far.
That sort of firepower combined with the history of the fixture suggests that a draw between the two is extremely unlikely this evening.
In 14 previous meetings, there has never been a draw with Hassocks triumphing eight times and Uckfield six.
Both sides had a win apiece in the league last season, triumphing in their respective away games and the fixture tends to guarantee goals with 58 at an average of over four a game.
Hassocks could have a couple of familiar faces to Uckfield fans on show. Defender Harry Mills joined the Robins from the Oakmen in the summer of 2016 and has since gone onto rack up nearly 100 appearances for the club whilst Andy Whittingham, who recently returned to the Beacon having left the club in 2011, spent time with Uckfield during his seven years away from Hassocks.
Kick off is at 7.45pm and entrance is £6 adults and £3 concessions with under 16s going free. Hot food and drink will be available from the T Bar and the Robins Bar will also be open for those wanting beer.
