TOWN3-HASTINGS UTD2 (22/3/14

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REPORT FROM HASTINGS OBSERVER

Hastings United were beaten by bottom-of-the-table opposition in a local derby this afternoon (Saturday).



The U’s surrendered a 2-1 half time lead to lose 3-2 away to Eastbourne Town in Ryman Football League Division One South after conceding a late winner at a sunny Saffrons.


United got off to a bad start by conceding in only the fifth minute. Town striker Dominic Clarke outjumped the away defence and nodded the ball down for strike partner Billy Medlock to poke past Josh Pelling as it bounced up.


The visitors were level, though, just four minutes later. Tom Vickers was allowed to run at Town full-back Ryan Cooper and the midfielder buried a low shot inside James Broadbent’s near post.


Although defender Josh Jirbandey hobbled off, United then took the lead after 20 minutes. Trevor McCreadie played a good ball through to Frankie Sawyer, who rounded Broadbent and rolled it home with his left foot.


Former United player Tom Gilbert stabbed wide from the rebound after Clarke’s header from a Medlock free kick was parried by Pelling, while at the other end, McCreadie headed wide of the far post from Taser Hassan’s cross.


Both teams then struck the crossbar. Vickers clipped the top of the Town goal with a left-foot shot from the edge of the D before Medlock rattled United’s woodwork with a free kick from just outside the box.


Although Hassan was withdrawn through injury at half time, Vickers had a shot beaten out by Broadbent barely 20 seconds after the restart. Clarke then saw an effort cleared off the line by makeshift United centre-half Tim Olorunda.


Town probably ought to have had a penalty late in the first half and they did get one in the 53rd minute. Medlock’s shot was blocked by the raised arm of Ben Judge and Medlock proceeded to send Pelling the wrong way from the spot.


Olorunda’s header from a Danny Ellis free kick deflected just wide and McCreadie nodded Sawyer’s cross over the top, while Pelling gathered Medlock’s low drive and beat out a Layton Schaaf drive.


Sawyer and Bailo Camara had sights of Town’s goal before Olorunda headed against the angle of post and crossbar, but it was Town who grabbed the winner in the 87th minute. Clarke headed a corner against the crossbar and Adam Davidson slammed home the rebound to spark joyous scenes in the home camp.


Vickers flashed one last shot across the face of Town’s goal amid unsuccessful appeals for a penalty on a dreadfully disappointing afternoon for United but a very sweet one for Town’s former United manager John Lambert.

Other results ; Redhill lost2-0 Crawley Down Gatwick lost 5-0 Corinthian Casuals drew 0-0.
In the County league Hailsham drew 3-3 with East Preston and are now only 2 points behind Lancing with 3 games in hand and Eastbourne United drew at Rustington

[grimrich]

Happiness is watching Town beating Hastings 3-2 after being 2-1 down at half time!

This was, in my view, the best Town performance I have seen this season, better than the 6-0 win over Crawley Down Gatwick, as Hastings are a far better side than CDG, who, incidentally, seem to be in free fall at present. A couple of thoughts;

- if Steve Elliott had not been injured and had played throughout the first half of the season Town would have most likely had several more points than they have now.

- Dominic Clarke has made a big difference to Town's front line, particularly in the air. The Hastings centre half barely won a header against Dominic yesterday. That he wins many headers means the ball is not being headed straight back into Town's half from long clearances as has so often happened. Dominic also rarely gives away free kicks when challenging in the air, which takes some pressure off Town.

- Can Town avoid the drop? Still possible I'd think. If they can't avoid finishing in the bottom three, there may be a chance of not being relegated providing they don't finish bottom.

Richard

[yellowperil]

I have got to agree with you there grimrich , it was the first time in a while that I had seen Town fight for every ball ,we just out fought them yesterday , dom was particularly dominate in the air ,and gave bill some scraps to feed off ,we certainly did put the cat amongst the pidgeons with the result .What a fitting way for Town to win though with the Kaiser applying the finishing touch ,and a good celebration too .The lads showed if they can apply themselves and cut out stupid mistakes they can win games at this level ,however is it to late ?I believe if we can get some more positive results we may be able to overtake crawley down ,and possibly Redhill ,after being down and out for a while now ,I do believe their is a bit of self belief starting to come from our dressing room .
Just a note to say Thanks to the numpties who supposedly call themselves Hastings supporters ,stealing the match ball at the end ,what hopeless morons they were .I must also say the rest of the hastings support behaved impeccably and gave their team as much support as they could,pity we don't have gates of that amount every week .

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Saturday, March 22, 2014



One of these local rivals went into this East Sussex derby on the back of a six goal performance that had apparently rekindled their previously forlorn hopes of a top two finish and a guarantee of home advantage in the end of season play-offs.

The other was on a run of one win in fifteen games, in which they had been conceding goals for fun, cast adrift by a nine point margin at the foot of an almost depressingly weak division, their sole victory in that dismal sequence coming against the only side in the league currently in worse form than them.

But on a bright and bitterly cold afternoon at The Saffrons, only one of these apparently mismatched teams displayed the necessary amount of spirit, desire, heart and togetherness to merit a victory that was earned in the closing stages of an horrifically error-strewn contest, and for reasons that are becoming increasingly difficult to comprehend, that team was not United.

In fact, so poor was today's performance, that the Club would like to extend an apology to the supporters who turned up in such impressive numbers, once again making up a large percentage of the overall attendance, only to witness such a completely unacceptable effort. The Board and the management team would like to make it clear that they will simply not tolerate a continuation of displays such as this and that they fully expect things to be put right during the final ten games of the campaign.

Precious few United players emerged with any credit on the day, and they were especially shaky at the back, where Town striker Billy Medlock, a transfer target for the U's earlier in the season, caused problems throughout the ninety minutes, while fellow forward Dom Clarke seemed to win every header that he contested and played an integral part in the winning goal.

Injuries perhaps played a part in the U's demise, with Josh Jirbandey hobbling off within the opening ten minutes, Taser Hassan forced out of the action at half time, and Sam Cruttwell limping away in the closing stages. Jirbandey's early withdrawal saw new signing Tristan Toney introduced in midfield, and Tim Olorunda drop back alongsiide skipper Ben Judge, but by then, the United defence had already parted generously and allowed Medlock to lift a shot over the stranded Josh Pelling to give Town a fifth minute lead.



To their credit, the U's responded quickly and impressively, Tom Vickers cutting inside full back Ryan Cooper and drilling a shot past James Broadbent at his near post to equalise, and Trevor McCreadie playing in strike partner Frankie Sawyer to round the keeper and produce an exquisite finish from a tight angle to put the visitors ahead, still inside the twenty minute mark.

Both sides missed excellent chances to score again, before Vickers hit the top of the crossbar with a left foot shot from just outside the area, Medlock then thumping a twenty yard free kick against the bar at the other end, and dragging the rebound wide with Pelling well beaten on both occasions.

More good work by the dangerous Vickers led to Broadbent making the save of the match just seconds after the interval, but the focus of attention soon shifted to the U's area, where a laughable sequence of mi**** clearances and inept passes presented Clarke with an opportunity that Olorunda cleared off the line.

Only moments later, Judge blocked a Medlock shot with a raised arm just inside the area, giving Town's leading scorer the chance to beat Pelling from the spot and to level things up at two apiece, and although Olorunda and McCreadie went close to restoring United's lead, Pelling had to be alert to deny Medlock a hat-trick, after he took advantage of yet more woeful defending.

In the final ten minutes, Town's crossbar was rattled for a second time, Olorunda with a far post header from a Danny Ellis free kick that rebounded into the six yard box, but the hosts managed to scramble the loose ball clear. United were not so fortunate when Clarke rose majestically to meet Medlock's eighty-sixth minute corner, becoming the fourth player to be denied by the woodwork, although defender Davidson reacted quickest to stab Eastbourne in front.

There was still time for the U's to have loud penalty appeals turned down, matchwinner Davidson's handball being missed by the officials as he challenged for a high ball in his own area, but it was highly debatable that the visitors deserved as much as point anyway.

League leaders Peacehaven contined to close in on the title with victory at home to Guernsey, while Leatherhead and Folkestone also won, as the U's lost ground on most of their play-off rivals. Merstham's eighth win in nine games brought them to within seven points of fifth place, still far enough behind for United to feel comfortable though, but Tuesday's visit to Whitstable is exactly where that sort of attitude must change, before it's too late.

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The above is a very honest report from the Hastings United web-site. Obviously they were disappointed at losing but if our supporters were to look at their forum it shows how passionate, and rather outspoken, they are about their team.