Hassocks make their first trip to the Sports Pavilion for five-and-a-half years this Saturday as they visit a Lingfield side who have taken to Premier Division football like a duck to water.
The Lingers have been easily the most impressive of the three sides to have won promotion from Division One at the end of last season, in what is their first season in the top flight of the Southern Combination since the FA controversially shunted them across to the Southern Counties East League in the summer of 2014.
Their spell in the former Kent League lasted just one year before they returned to the Southern Combination with a place in Division One for 2014-15., They spent the next three seasons in the second tier before a third placed finish last time confirmed their elevation back to the top table.
That upward trajectory has shown no signs of abating. The Lingers currently sit ninth in the Premier Division, already well past the 40 point mark that guarantees safety. With just one point separating the teams sitting sixth to 10th, then there is no reason why David Dean’s side can’t eclipse their highest ever finish of sixth which was achieved in the 2012-13 season.
This will be the third meeting of the season between Hassocks and Lingers. The previous league clash came in November, the Robins eventually overcame their visitors 3-2 at the Beacon. Phil Johnson scored twice for Hassocks with Jake Lindsey grabbing what proved to be the winner in the 90th minute. Callum Ridley and Jake Horn netted for the visitors.
Prior to that, Lingfield ended Hassocks’ interest in the Peter Bentley League Cup at the third round stage with a commanding 3-0 win in Mid Sussex. Thomas Stead, Joel Alexander and Christopher Ransome were all on target for the Lingers as they advanced to the quarter finals where they were eliminated 4-1 by Horsham YMCA who have since gone onto make the final of the competition.
As already mentioned, Hassocks last went to the Sports Pavilion some five-and-a-half years ago when Phil Gault scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot in September 2013. That result ended Lingfield’s unbeaten start to their campaign while extended the Robins, moving them joint top of the Premier Division table with East Preston.
Those three games are part of 16 previous meetings between the two. Hassocks have won six of them while there have been five draws and five victories for the Lingers.
Kick off at the Sports Pavilion is at 3pm.
