H&B title hopes on line in must win game

Second-placed H&B tackle top flight leaders Horsham at William Parker Sports College on Saturday January 6 and captain Kit Claughton is well aware of the importance surrounding the fixture. "It's a massive game. If we win on Saturday, the title race is back on, but if we lose, we're playing for second place."

Such a do-or-die scenario has come about because H&B drew one and lost one of their nine games during the first half of the campaign, whereas their West Sussex rivals were victorious in all eight of theirs.

Only the champions are guaranteed promotion to London South East Division Four. The runners-up will face a play-off against their counterparts from the Kent League, a scenario which would hardly enthral an H&B side which has been beaten in the all-or-nothing contest in five of the last six seasons.

Claughton continued: "They've got to be a good side to be unbeaten, but I don't think they're unbeatable. If we get it right and play as we did before Christmas, we can beat them."

The two teams have already met this term, with Horsham scraping home 20-15 on their own ground during November, although H&B had a late try controversially disallowed.

Claughton went on: "There's not much difference between a lot of the sides in the league and we felt we could have had it that day. The difference was a few kicks and a bit of luck."

This time H&B have home advantage, however, and they haven't lost at William Parker in a Sussex League game since April 2005.

What's more, they beat Horsham - then a London South East Division Four club - in a Powergen Junior Vase encounter 16 months ago.

Claughton added: "Traditionally we've always had good results against them at our place. It's a pitch they don't like coming to and we've not lost to Sussex opposition for quite a while on our own pitch."

H&B expect to be around full strength because Alistair Coombe and Tom Brampton are back and Paul Sandeman is available. Kick-off is at 2.15pm.

Tomorrow's game marks the start of a crucial three week period which will go a long way towards determining the outcome of H&B's season.

After that is a trip to old foes Uckfield next Saturday (January 13) and a Sussex Trophy tie against higher rank Chichester on January 20.

On the transfer front, Mike Lawless, whose appearances were limited by unavailability, has left to rejoin former club Cranbrook.