Deja vu. A glitch in the Matrix. Past life repeating on present time. Call it what you will, but for the second weekend running Hassocks are taking on Langney Wanderers.
This time the competition is the Peter Bentley League Cup rather than the Premier Division as was the case last week. The venue is also different as the Beacon hosts rather than Priory Lane, but other than that it’s a repeat of last Saturday – although Hassocks will be hoping for a very different result.
Before the start of the 2018-19 season, Hassocks had never faced Langney Wanderers in a competitive game of senior football.
That was hardly a surprise though given the remarkable rise that Wanderers have been on since they were founded as a Sunday League team a decade ago.
In 10 years, they’ve gone from the Lewes & District Sunday League to the top flight of the Southern Combination and they look like they should be on course to better last year’s 15th placed finish.
That left them a comfortable 10 points clear of the relegation zone, largely thanks to a blistering end of season run under the management of the wily Kenny McCreadie.
McCreadie departed suddenly a month into the new season and his place at the helm has been taken by Simon Colbran, a vastly experienced operator at this level most notable for his time in charge of Crowborough Athletic who led from Division Two to Premier Division champions in a short space of time during the mid 00’s.
Colbran has steadied the ship since his arrival and has a talented squad at his disposal as Hassocks found out in that aforementioned game last week (which we’re trying not to mention) in which Wanderers sauntered to a 4-0 Premier Division win.
That was in stark contrast to the FA Cup meeting between the two here in August when goals from Jack Rowe-Hurst and Matt Berridge – both of whom have since left Hassocks – gave the Robins a 2-0 success.
Throw in the two draws from two Premier Division meetings last season and you’ve got a fixture that neither side is yet to truly dominate.
Those stalemates both finished 2-2 and both featured late levellers, Jordan Badger rescuing a point at Priory Lane in the 89th minute for Hassocks and Tyler Capon doing likewise for Langney in the return fixture here in March.
That day highlighted the never-say-die attitude that underpins this side and that was in evidence in one of their more extraordinary results in this campaign when they came from 3-0 down with 25 minutes remaining at Newhaven to draw 3-3. Not that anybody who watched last week needs any reminding of the talents of the visitors.
Kick off is at 3pm and entrance is priced at £6 adults and £3 concessions with Under 16s going free. The Robins Bar will be serving alcohol throughout the afternoon and the T Bar will have hot food and drink.
If you’re travelling from the north, please be aware that roadworks are continuing on Stone Pound Cross Road so you may want to add a little extra time to the journey.
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