Understrength Robins bow out of County Cup at hands of Town
The Sussex Under 23 Challenge Cup has never been the happiest of competitions for Hassocks. Their interest in the 2021-22 edition will not extend beyond the second round after elimination at the hands of Eastbourne Town.
The Robins have only ever gone beyond this stage of the competition once before since it was introduced in 2017, when embarking on a memorable run to the quarter finals in the 2019-20 campaign.
Dave John’s side pulled off their fair share of shocks to get that far. Isthmian League outfit Three Bridges were beaten at Jubilee Field and Hassocks then eliminated reigning Southern Combination Under 23 West Division champions Horsham YMCA at Gorings Mead.
The Robins eventually succumbed to Loxwood in the last eight, the Magpies possessing a team that season who would have fancied their chances of going onto lift the trophy had the campaign not been curtailed a few months later.
In the present, Hassocks had already eliminated Eastbourne Town’s East Division rivals Saltdean United in the first round, winning 3-2 against the Tigers at the Beacon a month earlier through two goals from Josh Short and one from Spencer Slaughter.
Based on league standings, Town looked set to provide a much sterner examination. Whereas Saltdean occupied a lowly 8th spot out of 10, the yellow half of Eastbourne sit pretty in second spot as the nearest challenges to current runaway leaders Newhaven.
Hassocks have combined first team players needing game time with their Under 23s squad to good effect so far this season.
For the trip to the Saffrons however, the Robins were only able to call upon Short and Arthur Rawlingson as they took one of their youngest, most inexperienced squads of the season.
Short replaced Lewis Westlake as one of six changes from the previous week’s 4-2 league defeat away at 10 man Crowborough Athletic.
Harvey Parker returned in goal in place of Ryan West whilst Harvey Ransome, Archie Russell, George Mercer and Sean McSwiney were all promoted from the bench having been used substitutes at the Crowborough Community Stadium. The four players dropping out for them were Jacob Kilkelly, Josh Hawkes, Jack Baden and Lewis Beebee.
Hassocks took the lead with 15 minutes played through Russell’s second goal of the season, taking him onto four in total when combined with the two he already has for the Under 18s.
Town hit back immediately and levelled within 60 seconds. Straight from kick off, the hosts broke forward for Tom McDonald to make it 1-1.
What proved to be the winner arrived in the 71st minute from Leke Ademola. A disappointing evening was rounded off for Hassocks by Jay Hudson seeing red, a moment not in keeping with a game played in the right spirit in which there was only one other yellow card shown, to Town’s Regan Constable.
The defeat made it three losses in a row for Hassocks, a far cry from the form which had seen them begin the campaign with a seven game unbeaten run in all competitions.
They will look to get their season back on track at home to Oakwood next Thursday night, having won 2-0 at Tinsley Lane when the sides met in the North Division back in September.
Hassocks: Harvey Parker, Wes Tighe, Sean McSwiney, Arthur Rawlingson, Harvey Ransome, George Mercer, Josh Short, Louis Thwaites, Ben Hicks, Jay Hudson, Archie Russell.
Subs: Marshall Smith, Jack Smith, Jude Wallis, Brad Sweetman (used).
