FOOTBALL: Cup Progress For Confident Hastings
AFC Dunstable 0, Hastings United 4
Hastings United maintained their confident early season form with two cup wins over the past fortnight: 1-0 at home to Haywards Heath Town in the Allan Turvey Isthmian league cup competition followed by a 4-0 drubbing of AFC Dunstable in the FA Trophy last Saturday.
In the former game several players were drafted into the ‘U’s line-up from the under-19 and under-23 sides, and new recruit from the Academy, Tom Chalmers, scored the only goal. Four days later the full first team turned out in the Bedfordshire rain to dominate their Southern League hosts, forcing an early own goal followed by further successful strikes by Sam Adams, Ben Pope and substitute Davide Rodari.
In nine league games so far Hastings have scored only 11 goals but remain unbeaten, having conceded just three. So the two clean sheets in these cup games are what we’ve come to expect. The four goals netted at Dunstable suggest, however, that the comparative goal drought in attack – particularly in away games where only three have been scored in five league matches – may be more of a statistical blip than an endemic problem.
Pope, in the role of central striker, has been scoring regularly; last season’s leading scorer Daniel Ajakaiye, now using his speed and trickery down the channels rather than through the centre, has found fewer opportunities in front of goal but provided consistent support. The midfield quartet of Adam Lovatt, Jack Dixon, Lanree Azeez and Sam Adams, though missing the kind of flair for an incisive pass that Sam Cruttwell used to show, simply haven’t allowed their opponents time or space to keep the ball. Behind them the defence must be one of the most obdurate in any senior league at present.
Next up are a home league game against Hythe Town tomorrow (Saturday), then three more cup forays – away to East Grinstead Town in the league cup on Tuesday 5th November, a second qualifying round tie in the FA Trophy the following Saturday, then a Sussex Senior Cup tie hosting Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday 12th November.
Last season Brighton sent their under-23 team to contest a third round fixture of the same competition at Pilot Field and cruised to a 4-0 victory. ‘U’s manager Chris Agutter will no doubt call for a bigger effort from his more experienced team this time.
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