Hassocks got out of RUR Cup

Cup competitions mean nothing to a Hassocks side that have a real battle on their hands just to stay in County League Division One this season and so it proved in a 5-1 RUR Cup defeat to Eastbourne Town.
Hassocks Manager Dave John. Pic Steve Robards SUS-140823-212740001Hassocks Manager Dave John. Pic Steve Robards SUS-140823-212740001
Hassocks Manager Dave John. Pic Steve Robards SUS-140823-212740001

It is less than two seasons since the Robins disappointed in the semi finals of this competition in going down to Selsey in the same year that they secured their highest ever placing of fourth in the table.

Yet there was never any doubt who the favourites for this tie were, or indeed what the outcome would be after the visitors went into the break 4-1 ahead on their first visit to the Beacon since 2007.

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Back then Town were on their way to being crowned deserved County League champions yet Dave John’s charges ran out 4-0 winners and you can only imagine what the returning Robins boss would do for a similar result in this campaign.

The visitors took the lead through Dominic Clarke on 13 minutes and most inside the ground imagined that some sort of onslaught would follow.

The popular Rob South had other ideas however, marking his first start of the season with an equaliser just before the half hour mark.

It’s convincing players such as South to turn out regularly that will make the difference for Hassocks in this campaign, but unfortunately his strike counted for nothing by the time the teams headed in at half time.

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Liam Baitup put the visitors ahead just two minutes after the equaliser, Clarke added another with 40 on the clock and two minutes later Baitup was again on target.

That was game over in all truth and honesty, yet Hassocks battled hard in the second period and restricted the visitors to just one more goal which arrived via Matt McLean.

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