Crowborough Athletic 1-3 Hassocks - The hard work starts now and the main objective now is to establish ourselves in the Isthmian League, which I think we will, says Crowborough Athletic boss Sean Muggeridge

Crowborough Athletic 1 – 3 Hassocks
Location	Centenary Park, Piddinghoe Avenue, Peacehaven, East Sussex BN10 8RJ
Kickoff	10/05/2025 13:00

CROWBOROUGH ATHLETIC  1-3  HASSOCKS
Southern Combination League Peter Bentley Challenge Cup Final
Saturday 10 May 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from Piddinghoe Avenue

CROWBOROUGH ATHLETIC manager Sean Muggeridge says it always leaves a sour taste when his side lose their annual Peter Bentley Challenge Cup Final.

The Crows have now lost the Peter Bentley Challenge Cup Final to Newhaven (2-1), Steyning Town Community (2-1) and now Hassocks during the past three seasons, as James Westlake’s side claimed the silverware at the first attempt on a windy day in Peacehaven.

Hassocks claimed the Southern Combination League Premier Division title, having picked up 97 points (31 wins, four draws and three defeats) from their 38 league games and will be playing in the Isthmian League South East Division for the very first time next season.

Westlake’s men defeated Infinity (2-0), Shoreham (3-1), Petersfield Town (1-0) and Haywards Heath Town (2-1) to reach their maiden Challenge Cup Final.  Hassocks made SEVEN changes to the side that completed their title-winning campaign with a 3-1 win at eighth-placed finishers Newhaven on 26 April.

Crowborough Athletic finished runners-up with 81 points (25 wins, six draws and seven defeats) and celebrated winning promotion after beating Eastbourne United 2-1 at home in the Play-Off Final last Sunday, which extended their unbeaten run to eight, since losing 3-0 at Hassocks on the day that they won the league title on 29 March.

The Crows beat Newhaven (3-1), Forest Row (3-1), Eastbourne United (4-3 on penalties after a 3-3 draw), Peacehaven & Telscombe (2-0) and Muggeridge made five changes to the side that beat ended Anthony Storey’s Eastbourne United promotion charge last Sunday, having also beaten the same opposition 3-1 to land the Sussex RUR Charity Cup down in Lancing on 2 April.

“Frustrating.  You might disagree, I thought we were the better side, I think second half,” said Muggeridge.

“We did look tired at half-time. Obviously, we had a couple of injuries came off again. We’ve got players missing but so have they but I think overall very disappointed.  Three-one looks like an easy win but it certainly wasn’t.  I think we deserved more than what we got out of that to be fair.

“I thought we had to be a couple up in the first half in the wind because it was so strong but funnily enough the wind helped second half.  I think we dominated.  You might be able to tell me different; someone might be able to tell me different.

“I think they’ve had one shot from a corner that went in. We didn’t mark properly and a great goal, a great chip – he’s done it before that Alex Fair.  I think that’s the only real two chances they had, I think.

“But we’ve hit the post. We’ve had two or three the keeper saved, it’s just frustrating.”

Crowborough Athletic took the lead through striker Rushaar Samuel-Smirkle’s 24^th goal of the season, before Hassocks restored parity through a clinical finish from former Crowborough Athletic and Tunbridge Wells striker Morgan Vale, who notched his 18^th goal of the campaign.

Hassocks centre-half William Berry slammed in following their second corner of the game before wideman Alex Fair notched his 20^th goal of the season with a sublime 40-yard strike.

Crowborough Athletic took the lead with only 195 seconds on the clock, through a move that saw a couple of recalled players play a key part in the build-up.

Central midfielder Alfie Lambden played the ball out to winger Leo Vowles, who cut inside centre-half Daniel Turner on the corner of the Hassocks penalty area and he crossed towards Samuel-Smirkle, who looped his towering header across recalled goalkeeper Fraser Trigwell into the far corner from eight-yards.

“Again, we’ve been working on Leo to put that ball in like that and a perfect cross, a perfect goal, a perfect header and you’re always thinking that we’re going to go on and win it now but obviously things don’t happen like that,” said Muggeridge.

“I think we had another couple of half-chances in the first half.  I think going in leading would’ve been better but I thought we probably needed a two-goal cushion at half-time but it didn’t work out like that.”

Praising Samuel-Smirkle, Muggeridge said: “I mean he’s raw, he’s still raw. He’s still got a lot to learn, which is good. He’s not the finished article yet but obviously he’s committed to us now for next season already, so he’ll test himself in the Isthmian League now but the good thing about it is he’s got so much to learn. He’s so good at the minute but he’s got so much to learn and we’ll work with him in the summer.”

A sticky plastic pitch, windy conditions and a slow tempo – as well as 12 different players to both sides wasn’t conducive to free flowing football.

Crowborough Athletic should have doubled their lead in the 14^th minute, however, when Hassocks’ left-back Joe Bull opened the gate.

Lambden was on the edge of the centre-circle when he played a fine through ball to release winger Tom Pearson in the box but his low right-footed angled drive from 15-yards was comfortably saved by Hassocks goalkeeper Trigwell, low to his right.

Muggeridge said: “I think Tom’s knee didn’t make him strike it as well as he could’ve done but it’s a chance.  On the 3G, if you don’t connect with it right, it’s just going to bobble into the keeper’s hands anyway but it was a good chance there.”

Hassocks grabbed an equaliser with 16 minutes and 4 seconds on the clock, courtesy of a clinical yet controversial strike from Vale.

Central midfielder Joshua Mundy travelled towards the halfway line on the right before hitting a 35-yard pass along the deck to release Vale, who swept a clinical right-footed shot underneath the advancing Charlie Holmwood to roll into the centre of the goal from 15-yards.

Muggeridge said: “Unfortunately where the dugouts are here, you can see completely along the line. You could see he was miles offside basically. He was offside and the linesman (Ryan Calver) wasn’t even in line to give it anyway but that’s football.

“We’ve got a few of them this season. I’m just saying, I’m just being honest because I wouldn’t say it was offside, if it wasn’t. Where the dugouts are, you can see all the offsides.  I know it’s difficult for officials but it was offside!

“It was a good finish, it went under the keeper’s legs but it was offside!”

Muggeridge lost centre-half Harrison Mayhew to a rolled ankle and Pearson was forced off with a knee injury, as Crowborough Athletic brought on Joshua Turner and Marcus Goldsmith before the interval.

Hassocks produced a well-worked move in the 39^th minute, as the game had a pre-season friendly feel to it.

Bull released winger Jack Troak on an overlapping run and he put in a low cross towards the edge of the Crowborough penalty area where Vale took a touch before flashing a right-footed drive across the keeper and just past the foot of the far post from 16-yards.

“Morgan’s a good player. It was poor marking to be fair but I thought the defender tried to cover the cross from coming in the six-yard box but Morgan’s got good movement.

“It was unusual because they probably had more chances in the first half than they did in the second half and they only scored one.”

Crowborough Athletic goalkeeper Holmwood pulled off a decent save, beating away an effort from Troak, after Mundy swung a free-kick into the Crowborough penalty area in the 43^rd minute.

“Charlie’s been outstanding this year and he’s done that many a time this year. He’s got a good defence in front of him.  Like I said before, he doesn’t have a lot to do a lot of times but when he does have to do something, he does it and that’s what makes him a good goalkeeper that he is.”

“I could see they were wiped out to be fair.  Mo(hamed Zabadne) had a bandaged head.  We had one (Jack Mayhew) with a bandaged arm. It was something out of Terry Butcher, remember him?

“I’m not complaining because the reason we are picking up these injuries, the reason they are tired is because we’ve been successful.

“Although it was one-all, I had to pick them up a little bit in there but I just said ‘go and do what you did against Eastbourne United, you were 1-0 down in the other Cup Final.  You’ve just got to give it your all, just give it a go and by god did they?

“I mean they came out for that first 20 minutes, some of the football we were playing, I thought it was superb.”

Crowborough Athletic came out with all guns blazing at the start of the second half, with their first opening coming after only 40 seconds.

Lambden played the ball into attacking midfielder Harry Forster, who rolled the ball out to Vowles, who cut inside and towards the corner of the penalty area to roll his weak right-footed shot straight into Trigwell’s gloves for a comfortable save.

“It’s hard to explain what 3G’s are like.  You have to get them off the ground and I think if you put them on the front it sort of slows it up, so what he done, he tried to bend it into the corner but he just didn’t get hold of it. It’s just one of those things,” added Muggeridge.

Forster then drove towards the edge of the Hassocks penalty area and his right-footed drive from 22-yards took a deflection off Berry and forced Trigwell to dive to his right and use a strong right-hand to push the ball towards safety, as the Crows went close to scoring with three minutes and 17 seconds on the clock.

Muggeridge said: “It was a very good save.  Obviously, it’s not their normal goalkeeper. James Shaw’s normally in goal but the goalkeeper done really well for them today.

“I was frustrated no one was following up on it because he parried it into an area where someone should’ve tapped it in really but that’s football.”

Crowborough Athletic were dominating the game at this stage and Forster was a threat with his attacking runs and he fed Vowles, who played the ball back to Forster and his dinked shot was blocked by the Hassocks goalkeeper.

Crowborough Athletic were to be denied a deserved equaliser on the hour-mark.

Goldsmith released the impressive Forster in behind Bull and he cut the ball back to Samuel-Smirkle, who emphatically drilled a first-time hooked shot crashing against the inside of the right-hand post from 22-yards.

“Oh my god, what a strike! It actually moved. I’d prefer he scuffed it and go in but he’s connected so well and how it’s not gone in, it’s hit the inside of the post as well. What a strike! A good move as well. That’s football. It goes in or it goes the other way,” added the Crows manager.

Hassocks grabbed the lead, following their second and final corner of the game, with 21 minutes and 5 seconds on the clock.

Bull swung the ball in with his left-foot and Crowborough failed to clear their lines inside their box and the ball fell kindly for Berry, who slammed his low right-footed shot past Holmwood from 12-yards.

“I’m not disrespecting the players we’ve got, I think if we had Smithy (Stephen Smith) on the pitch at that time, I don’t think that happens because he’s very, very good with set-pieces,” said Muggeridge.

“It just dropped to them, whether it was poor marking or whether a bit fortunate. We should be picking players up. It just dropped for them nicely. It didn’t directly go into the corner, there were a few ricochets weren’t they and we weren’t marking so you get punished.

“All that pressure we had. I was saying to one of the supporters, all that pressure, we didn’t score. They could so easily go up the other end and score from that corner and they did, but that’s football.”

Hassocks scored a flattering third goal with 37 minutes and 18 seconds on the clock.

Fair drilled a sublime right-footed 40-yard shot from the right touchline which sailed over Holmwood and into the top right-hand corner to inflict more Cup Final despair on Crowborough Athletic.

“He’s done that before. I’ve seen him do that before, totally meant it but it’s just one of those things.  I don’t blame the goalkeeper. He’s in the right position, where he should be and it’s just a quality strike,” admitted Muggeridge.

Hassocks almost scored a flattering fourth (52:24) when right-back Harvey Blake split open the last defender (Jack Mayhew) to release substitute striker Oscar Kemp but he shot straight at Holmwood in a one-v-one.

Both sides will need to vastly improve ahead of their Isthmian League campaigns next season.

“Well, the aim today was to get a cup. We’ve got the RUR Cup.  I’m not being cocky or anything like that, we’ve actually dominated all three Cup Finals.  I think we should’ve won against Steyning last year. I think we should’ve won today and the other one against Newhaven, which was a little bit more even but I think we should’ve won that as well.

“So I want to play bad and win it one day. Unfortunately, it’s always a sour taste when you lose a Cup Final the last game of the season but it’s been absolutely incredible.

“To win the treble would’ve been nice but to win a double, promotion and a Cup, the way it started, it’s just fantastic.  Credit to everyone. Everyone behind the club. I could name everyone really. We’ve all pulled together in the right direction and then we’ve got the success on the pitch, not doing it with a big budget either, which is good.

“I’ve just said to them, those games that we’re on top in the Isthmian League next year, we will have to finish it because you will get teams go up the other end and scoring, which is disappointing.

“There’s a lot to learn, the hard work starts now, obviously and the main objective now is to establish ourselves in the Isthmian League, which I think we will..”

When asked why he made five changes for today’s Cup Final, Muggeridge replied: “A lot of it was forced on me. These players that have been on the bench as well and watched us win, I thought they’ve deserved it.  I don’t think they definitely didn’t disgrace themselves today. The players that came in but the quality we had not playing today could’ve got us over the line, I think in vital stages on the pitch but there’s so many positives to go out there.  The young players didn’t let us down today.

One thing is for certain, Crowborough Athletic will not be losing a Peter Bentley Challenge Cup Final in 12 months’ time, as they now look forward to playing Isthmian League football for the first time since 2009.

“Obviously, it will be absolutely amazing to get to the Final in the Isthmian League but we’ll just digest what we’ve done this season, hopefully forget about today because today is not all about being depressed and things like that.

“Last year was a little bit different because we didn’t go up and we didn’t win anything but this year – I always said that win or lose today, I’m so proud of the players, they’ve given their all.  You could see today after the effort that they’ve put in, even when they were 3-1 down, it was unbelievable.  That’s the players I like in my team. I think it’s a credit to everyone.

“It won’t be long until I’m back into it. I’m going to go on holiday, I’m going to try and recharge and go again. What I’ve been doing for 13-14 years, so it’s not new to me.

“It’s hard to do an interview to be fair when you’ve lost a Cup Final but I think if you don’t recharge your battery, then you’re going to be tired before it starts, so I’m going to have a good break, obviously my phones going to be kept on. I’m just going to have a two or three week break and then it all starts in the middle of June, end of June again.”

Crowborough Athletic: Charlie Holmwood, Jack Mayhew, Mohamed Zabadne (Jakob El-Hage 87), Adam Larkin, Harrison Mayhew (Joshua Turner 35), Tom Boddy, Leo Vowles, Alfie Lambden (Sonny Causton 89), Rushaar Samuel-Smirkle, Harry Forster, Tom Pearson (Marcus Goldsmith 40).
Sub: Connor Pring

Goal: Rushaar Samuel-Smirkle 4

Hassocks: Fraser Trigwell, Harvey Blake, Joe Bull, Darren Budd (Harvey Enticknap 77), Daniel Turner, William Berry, Jack Troak (Alfie Loversidge 90), Joshua Mundy (Daniel Allen 86), Morgan Vale (Ruari Farrell 63), Shay Leahy (Oscar Kemp 90), Alex Fair.

Goals: Morgan Vale 17, William Berry 67, Alex Fair 83

Booked: Morgan Vale 62, Shay Leahy 90

Attendance: 401
Referee: Mr Ian Lane
Assistants: Mr Ryan Calver & Mr Thomas Price
Fourth Official: Mr Matthew Dyson