Robins make first semi final in a decade… and it is against the Premier Division leaders
Hassocks will face Southern Combination League Premier Division leaders and FA Vase finalists Littlehampton Town in the semi finals of the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup.
The tie will take place on Tuesday 26th April with a 7:45pm kick off under the lights at the Beacon. It will be the Robins’ first big semi since reaching the final four of the same competition in the 2011-12 campaign.
They lost 3-1 on that occasion to Selsey, extending their record of never having reached a cup final in senior football.
The defeat to the Blues is one of four semi finals that Hassocks have qualified for in their 40 years as a Southern Combination League club.
Three of those have come in the RUR Cup – 2000 and 1994 alongside 2012 – and one in the Peter Bentley League Cup in 1997.
To reach this stage, Hassocks have seen off Montpelier Villa, Crawley Down Gatwick and Seaford Town. For the Robins to continue their run and make history, they will have to pull off the mother of all upsets against opponents who have swept all before them this season.
Littlehampton are chasing an historic quadruple. They lead the Premier Division by two points with three games remaining and could become the first Southern Combination outfit to win the FA Vase should they overcome Newport Pagnell Town at Wembley on Sunday 22nd May.
And six days after visiting the Beacon in the RUR Cup, the Marigolds return to Hassocks to face Newhaven in the final of the Peter Bentley Cup.
Results between the two this season also point to the difficult task facing Brad Sweetman and his Robins players.
Littlehampton recently won 6-2 in Mid Sussex, a victory achieved without either of their leading goal scorers Joe Benn or George Gaskin.
The September meeting at the Flora Sportsfield was a little closer, Hassocks rallying from 2-0 down at half time to level the game at 2-2 by the hour mark.
Unfortunately for the visitors, the Marigolds’ quality told and they struck twice late on to run out 4-2 victors.
Of the 33 previous games between Hassocks and Littlehampton, only one has taken place in the RUR Cup, the Marigolds visiting the Beacon in the second round of the 2015-16 competition.
Littlehampton were the reigning Southern Combination champions at the time and they made light work of Hassocks, running out 5-0 winners.
Current Marigolds boss Mitchell Hand was on the scoresheet, along with Dean Janman and a hat-trick for George Landais.
Littlehampton have eliminated Loxwood, AFC Uckfield Town and Chichester City on their way to this semi final, racking up a scarcely believable 23 goals in three games. The winners of the tie will go onto face Saltdean United at Culver Road.
