FOOTBALL: Cruttwell Returns
HASTINGS UNITED 1, BILLERICAY TOWN 1
HUGH SULLIVAN
Hastings United matched play-off rivals Billericay Town in an absorbing contest at Pilot Field last Saturday – their first competitive action since 13 February following weeks watching the rain fall on saturated pitches. After conceding a penalty in the first minute of the second half, they eventually rallied to equalise through substitute Will Harley, and finished the game on the front foot, pressing for a winner. But many of the 1,600+ crowd will have left the stadium feeling that this late urgency could have been engendered rather earlier in the proceedings.
Sam Cruttwell in action against Billericay
For most of the match, the ’U’s found it difficult to push forward, their midfielders unable to sustain passing movements on a lumpy pitch, and twin strikers Davide Rodari and Tommy Fagg, invariably outnumbered in the centre, getting little service from either wing. The visitors adopted a much more direct approach, playing the ball long and penning Hastings for extensive periods deep in their own half.
Billericay scored after one of many long throw-ins: a rash tackle by Sam Okoye felled an attacker in the penalty area to give the referee – who was generally lenient of physical confrontations – a straightforward spot-kick decision, converted by former Hastings loanee Bradley Stevenson. The home side looked more threatening when Freddie Legg and Harley replaced Kian Moyes and Okoye, and eventually equalised in the 75th minute: Fagg broke down the right and crossed low for Harley to net from close range.
FORMER FAVOURITE
What the home supporters will have enjoyed was the return – third coming – of former midfield favourite Sam Cruttwell. He first played for the ‘U’s as a 16-year-old in the 2013-14 season, receiving reported attentions from at least one Premier League club, and went on to play more than 250 games for them. Some injuries and fitness issues, plus a desire to play local futsal (an indoor variety of football) led to him being sidelined by manager Chris Agutter in the latter’s first spell in charge, and he departed to play for Little Common. He re-signed for three games in the truncated 2020/21 season, but was then again out in the cold.
Returning again, now aged 27, Cruttwell has filled out to a chunkier shape, and was deployed by Agutter last Saturday as central defender alongside Sam Gale. But his touch on the ball, and passing ability with his left foot, don’t seem to have declined in quality since he was last at Pilot Field. He and Gale, who remains on loan from Gillingham, presumably for the rest of the season, stood out as the ‘U’s’ best performers on the day.
Another former Hastings midfielder, Ansu Janneh, has also re-joined the club, on loan from National League South team Tonbridge Angels. He played the full 90 minutes against Billericay, deputising for the suspended Jack Dixon, and can expect plenty more action over the next month and a half as the ‘U’s catch up on postponed fixtures.
They are due to entertain second-place Chatham Town at Pilot Field tomorrow (Saturday), then leaders Hornchurch on Tuesday (19 March) before travelling to Horsham, another promotion-chasing side, on 23 March. These seem like a crucial eight days, that will show just how fit the players are to maintain their own promotion challenge until the season’s end.
Isthmian Premier Table as at 10 March
| Pl | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | ||
| 1 | Hornchurch | 31 | 23 | 7 | 1 | 76 | 24 | 76 |
| 2 | Chatham Town | 34 | 21 | 4 | 9 | 72 | 49 | 67 |
| 3 | Wingate & Finchley | 32 | 17 | 5 | 10 | 60 | 52 | 56 |
| 4 | Billericay Town | 34 | 17 | 4 | 13 | 57 | 40 | 55 |
| 5 | Horsham | 31 | 16 | 7 | 8 | 44 | 35 | 55 |
| 6 | Enfield Town | 32 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 58 | 46 | 54 |
| 7 | Carshalton Athletic | 34 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 61 | 48 | 52 |
| 8 | Hastings United | 31 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 55 | 43 | 49 |
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