FOOTBALL: Confidence Ebbs at the Pilot Field
23 November: Hendon 9, Hastings Utd 0
26 November: Hastings Utd 1, Carshalton Athletic 1
30 November: Hastings Utd 0, Dartford 3
HUGH SULLIVAN
November was a confidence-sapping month for Hastings United. Having ditched manager Danny Bloor on 27 October, they won their first game in the aftermath against Whitehawk, but have lost four and drawn one of their five Isthmian League matches since, dropping into the relegation zone. Caretaker manager Sean Ray has seen his side score just twice and concede 16 goals in the process.
At Hendon on 23 November the wheels came off. The ‘U’s conceded three goals in the first 20 minutes, and were four down at halftime. Curiously, Ray replaced rookie defender Tyrone Mlotshwa with a forward, Will Harley, at that point, but used none of the other substitutes on the bench, which included regular players Leo Young, Tommie Fagg and Jack Dixon. The North London side netted five more goals in the second half.
“I can’t explain that performance”, said Ray afterwards, “probably the most humiliating – whether that’s kids’ football, adult football, parks football – that I’ve ever been involved in.
“We just didn’t look like we could, or wanted to, defend as a group. It was a half-hearted effort. They didn’t follow anything that we asked for.”
He apologised “on behalf of all the players” to the supporters who had made the long journey and called his squad in for an extra training session the following Monday in advance of a Tuesday evening home game against Carshalton.
With Young, Fagg and Dixon all restored to the starting line-up and Harley making his full debut, the Hastings team responded with a better display. Harley scored after ten minutes and, though an equaliser was conceded from a penalty shortly before halftime, the ‘U’s had the better of the second half without forcing a winner. “They’ve shown they care, they’ve shown they can do it, and can get the basics right”, Ray declared.
Last Saturday, on a mild grey afternoon at the Pilot Field, a crowd of over 1,400 (enhanced by a boisterous contingent from north Kent) saw them test their new resolve on visitors Dartford but were found wanting. While never capitulating, the ‘U’s frankly struggled against a side that were quicker and more incisive. A needless penalty was conceded and netted past Louis Rogers after 15 minutes and, from then on, most of the goalmouth action took place at the Hastings end.
At halftime Ray kept his team back in the dressing room for the maximum time allowed, and at the re-start they played for a time with increased urgency and determination to get forward. George Walker scampered down the right wing, and Freddie Legg made some inroads down the left; Adam Lovatt was always combative in midfield. But up front neither Harley (just turned 18) nor Davide Rodari were quick or mobile enough to profit from the half-chances offered. At the other end, Dartford eventually doubled their goal tally when a move down the right allowed a midfielder time and space to drive a shot in from the edge of the area, and a third goal came in added time with the ‘U’s defence spread-eagled.
Where do they go from here? Appointment of a new manager must be the priority: it doesn’t seem that Sean Ray wants the job – or has time for it – on a permanent basis. But until someone else is found, he has to keep looking for a spark to rekindle the players’ confidence.
Next up are three away trips in a row – to Chichester tomorrow (Saturday), Horsham next Wednesday, and Billericay on 14 December – before fellow strugglers Bowers & Pitsea come to the Pilot Field on 21 December.
Isthmian Premier League (bottom six) as at 1 December
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| 17 | Cheshunt | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 24 | 26 | -2 | 16 |
| 18 | Cray Wanderers | 17 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 17 | 23 | -6 | 16 |
| 19 | Hastings Utd | 17 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 35 | -19 | 16 |
| 20 | Whitehawk | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 33 | -21 | 15 |
| 21 | Bowers & Pitsea | 17 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 15 | 30 | -15 | 13 |
| 22 | Bognor Regis | 17 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 20 | 42 | -22 | 12 |
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