Ibrahim strikes again to beat Hassocks in Sussex Senior Cup

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Albion seal place in the next round.

Matthew Bishop

2025-10-07T22:00+01:00

Younes Ibrahim continued his excellent goalscoring form. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Younes Ibrahim’s sixth goal in five games saw Albion edge past Isthmian South East side Hassocks with a 1-0 win in the second round of the Sussex Senior Cup on a buoyant night at The Beacon.

The 17-year-old midfielder followed up his hat-trick for the men’s under-18s against Birmingham on Saturday with the only goal of the night against The Robins, as a young Albion side managed by men's under-18s head coach Bjorn Hamberg silenced some exuberant home support.

It was a record attendance of 1,004 at Hassocks’ home ground and it was the hosts who had the first chance when Albion keeper Mike Dike had to superbly tip Dan Turner’s header onto the bar inside the opening ten minutes.

Albion responded with a blistering breakaway that finished with Jesse Middleton firing just wide from 12 yards, before Harry Mills had a goalbound effort deflected behind and from the resulting set-piece, Yussif Owusu couldn’t generate enough power to find the back of the net when the ball fell to him inside the six-yard box.

Tyler Silsby takes on his marker at the Beacon. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Owusu tried his luck again 20 minutes in but his strike from range was well blocked by Hassocks’ Harvey Blake before Joe Belmont had a glorious chance to open the scoring after racing clear, only for Fraser Trigwell in the home goal to come off his line and deny the Albion striker.

Hassocks tried to threaten on the break and Dike had to be alert to keep out Jackson Morby’s wayward clearance, but Albion were in complete control and after Trigwell saved well from Belmont again, Owusu was unlucky to head Tyler Silsby’s corner inches wide just before the break.

The Robins came out of the traps quickly in the second half and Turner had a half-volley well blocked by Seb Ademola before a corner caused chaos in the Albion penalty area, but Callum Mackley eventually cleared and the hosts were punished for those missed chances within seconds.

Hamberg’s side played out from the back well and after Silbsy collected the ball on the right and jinked towards the byline, the winger’s dangerous cross was controlled by Shane Nti who laid it into Ibrahim’s path for the midfielder to fire home with 50 minutes on the clock.

Younes Ibrahim put Albion in front just after the break. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

It was a well-deserved opener on both side’s first half showing but despite going behind, Hassocks continued to threaten at the start of the second and Dike did brilliantly to keep out Matt Gunn’s header which looked destined for the bottom corner.

At the other end, Morby hammered a right-footed shot at goal which Trigwell was equal to, a last-ditch clearance from Joe Bull denied Nti and Silsby’s curling free-kick from range smacked the post as the match enter the final 20 minutes.

Albion kept pushing for a second goal with Silsby smashing a shot into the side netting and Tate Ferdinand missing a late header, while a final flurry from the hosts saw Damien Theodore and Charlie Pitcher go close in stoppage time, but one goal proved to be enough in Mid Sussex.