FOOTBALL: Altendorff Rings the Changes
8 November: Hastings 3, Beckenham Town 2
11 November: Eastbourne Town 3, Hastings 3
15 November: Herne Bay 3, Hastings 0
HUGH SULLIVAN
Hastings United remain out of the bottom four of the Isthmian South-East Division only on goal difference after a 3-0 defeat last Saturday at Herne Bay. That was a disappointing result after a run of four games unbeaten. But it’s no surprise that David Altendorff’s men are taking time to find consistent form, given the extent of player comings and goings to and from the Pilot Field in recent weeks.
U’s celebrate early goal at the Pilot Field
With Brad Barry again unfit and Harvey Earle out with a knock, replaced by former academy keeper Harry Howes, not one of the 11 players who started the season’s opening game against Erith Town in August were in the line-up against Herne Bay.
At the beginning of this month Eugene Asike, Jordan Mase, Sam Pidgeon and Hayden Skerry were all brought in by the new manager. Mase and Pidgeon have both hit the ground running with a couple of goals apiece since they arrived – Pidgeon from centre back, Mase from midfield.
To balance these arrivals, Jack Lyons and Charlie Ball have both been released. Lyons was an early season home favourite in his role as scampering winger, and Ball has had his moments in midfield, but both are said by a club spokesperson to have made requests to leave.
More recently, Marc Swainston and Bruno Tavares, who signed up only in September to lead the forward line in place of Callum Barlow, have departed. Short-term loanees Julius Nwike from Southend United and Will Harley from Eastbourne Borough have also returned to their respective parent clubs. Two new forwards James Stone, signed from Sevenoaks Town, and Rusharr Samuel-Smikle, from Sittingbourne, have been recruited to fill the gaps, along with a fresh loanee, Alfie Hilden from League 2 side Bromley.
INJURY LIST
Then there are the absent injured. Tom Vickers is reported to need surgery and is unlikely to feature for several months. Dean Gunner, defensive lynchpin in early games, then side-lined with a groin injury, is said to be recovering “better than expected” and is hoped to be fit again around Christmas. Hearteningly, long term absentee Tom Chalmers is reported to be “back around the squad at training”. He’s not expected to play any time soon, but the very fact that he’s been mentioned once again in dispatches will surely cheer ‘U’s supporters who remember his youthful talent from a couple of seasons back.
Those supporters – in a crowd of over 800 – did at least have a home victory to celebrate on 8 November over Beckenham Town, bottom-but-one of the Division. After 31 minutes the ‘U’s were three goals up and coasting, with Pidgeon, Walter Figueira and Mase all netting against a somewhat shambolic defence. But the visitors pulled a goal back before halftime, scored again early in the second half, and from then on had the better of the play without being able to force an equaliser as the home side hung on.
Three days later, Hastings made the short trip to Eastbourne for a Tuesday evening return fixture against the Town side they had beaten in August. This time the ‘U’s went 3-1 up, with an early goal from Stone, a header from Pidgeon from a free-kick, and a sweet strike from Hilden set up by Mase. But again their opponents fought back into the game with an immediate second goal to halve the deficit, and scored an eventual third ten minutes from time.
Next up is a home match tomorrow (Saturday) against mid-table Jersey Bulls. There’s an early kick-off at 12.45pm, in order to allow the long range visitors to fly home in reasonable time. The following Saturday, 29 November, it’s Erith Town away.
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE SOUTH EAST DIVISION (bottom six as at 16 November)
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| Hastings United | 18 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 23 | 32 | 16 |
| VCD Athletic | 17 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 21 | 35 | 16 |
| Sevenoaks Town | 18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 24 | 40 | 16 |
| Ashford Utd | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 29 | 32 | 15 |
| Beckenham Town | 16 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 23 | 41 | 9 |
| East Grinstead Town | 14 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 12 | 59 | 3 |
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