Robins head to Seaford hoping to secure a big semi
Mother nature can be a cruel mistress. Two postponements of the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup quarter final between Hassocks and Seaford Town means that the game reverts from the Beacon to the Crouch, handing home advantage to the Robins’ Division One opponents.
It will the first time that Hassocks have visited the Crouch for a competitive fixture since 2004. Dave John’s injury hit side bowed out of the Sussex Senior Cup in a 3-2 defeat with the Robins goals coming from Pat Harding and Richard Thomas.
The Robins will be hoping for better this time as they seek a rare appearance in the final four of a knockout competition. Hassocks have only ever reached four semi finals in senior football, the most recent of which came 10 years ago in the RUR Cup.
Mickey Jewell led the Robins to their highest ever league finish of fourth in the Premier Division that season. It has been a rather different story for the class of 2022, who climbed out of the bottom four for only the second time in the current campaign following their 5-2 weekend win over East Preston.
The Robins know only too well that there is very little difference in quality between those fighting relegation from the top flight and clubs battling for promotion out of Division One, as Seaford are.
Roffey ended Hassocks’ interest in the Peter Bentley League Cup at the first hurdle back in September. The Robins will need to take their A-game to the Crouch to stand a chance of progressing.
Seaford Town this season
The Badgers are enjoying their best campaign for over 25 years, looking set to eclipse their highest finish in that time of fifth in the second tier of the Southern Combination set in the 2010-11 campaign.
They currently sit fourth in the table on 57 points having won 17, drawn six and lost seven of their 30 matches so far.
With Division One set to feature end-of-season playoffs for the first time and the potential for several clubs needing to step up to fill places in the top flight as the reorganisation of the pyramid continues further up, there is every chance that Seaford could end their 30 year absence from the Premier Division.
That would be a deserved reward for what has happened both on and off the pitch at the Crouch over the past couple of years.
Paul Wise has built a squad capable of going toe-to-toe with most sides in Sussex on their day, as their results in reaching the quarter final stage of the RUR Cup prove.
The Badgers have eliminated Isthmian League outfit Lancing and Hassocks’ fellow Premier Division club Broadbridge Heath.
Arguably Seaford’s most impressive result of the season came in the Sussex Senior Cup when they hammered Loxwood 6-1 at Plaistow Road back in November.
The people of Seaford have responded to the good form of their town’s team with the average attendance at the Crouch edging over 100, an excellent number for a Division One club.
Hassocks v Seaford Town head-to-head
Meetings between Hassocks and Seaford have been few and far between, Town’s fall from the top table in the early 1990s occurring around the same time as the Robins were rising through the divisions.
Eight previous matches have yielded four wins apiece. Seaford edge the league meetings, winning three times compared to Hassocks’ one in the four Division One clashes that took place across the 1986-87 and 1992-93 campaigns.
Hassocks in contrast lead the way in knockout competitions. The Robins have won both previous RUR Cup meetings as well as the only Sussex Senior Cup clash between the sides, leaving Seaford with a solitary Peter Bentley Cup success from 2009.
Last time Hassocks played Seaford Town
There was plenty of entertainment to be had when Seaford visited the Beacon in the third round of the RUR Cup in the 2018-19 season.
Eight goals, a missed penalty and former Hassocks Reserve manager turned Seaford boss Scott Osborne being sent to the stands made for a captivating evening.
Liam Benson put the Robins 1-0 ahead on 40 minutes but the lead lasted less than 60 seconds before Ali Rainsford equalised.
There was still enough time before the interval for Seaford to miss a penalty as the first half finished in action packed fashion.
Hassocks motored through the gears after the restart. Jordan Badger made it 2-1 on 47 minutes, Phil Johnson then added a third and Jake Lindsey a fourth to spark a fantastic Osborne meltdown which resulted in his dismissal from the dugout.
A rare Harry Mills goal made it 5-1 with 10 minutes remaining. Seaford found a second consolation through Connor Martin before Lindsey rounded off the scoring in the final seconds to complete his first senior brace.
