The Beacon will host a Mid Sussex derby day double this Sunday as both Hassocks Under 18s and Hassocks Ladies take on their local rivals.
Things get underway at 11am with the Young Robins playing host to Southern Combination League Under 18 Central Division leaders Haywards Heath Town.
The Blues are absolutely flying this season, their record reading played 12, won 12, scored 77, conceded 18 to put them 11 points clear of Brad Sweetman’s side at the top of the table.
Heath were the side who brought Hassocks’ 392-day, 30-game undefeated streak to an end when winning 5-3 in the last meeting at Hanbury Park in October.
That was a real ding-dong affair. Both sides led twice, there was one hat-trick for Heath’s Ollie Broad and the hosts even ended the tie with 10 men following Hayden Crowhurst’s dismissal.
The Robins will have revenge on their minds then, as well as knowing that defeat against an outstanding Heath outfit would all but end their slim hopes of overhauling their local rivals in the race to defend their Central Division title.
Following that, the Ladies welcome Burgess Hill Town at 2pm in another local derby that could again have a big bearing on where silverware heads come the end of the season.
The Robins currently top South East Counties Women’s League Division One West having won 11 games out of 11 but it could turn out that the Hillians end up being their nearest challengers given that they have four games in hand with which to eat into Hassocks’ 19 point advantage.
Hill have only lost once all season themselves while an added level of intrigue comes with the fact that the two sides will meet again in a month in the final of the Sussex Women’s Challenge Trophy at Culver Road.
Both Hassocks and the Hillians will come into the clash buoyed by knocking out higher-division clubs to advance to the semi finals of the League Cup last week.
For the Robins, they delivered their best performance of the season to shock mid table Premier Division outfit Worthing 7-2 at Culver Road. Hill meanwhile knocked out fourth placed Phoenix Sports thanks to a 2-1 success.
Entrance to both games is free.
