FOOTBALL: Down, Up, Down
18 November:
Enfield Town 3, Hastings Utd 1
21 November:
Hastings Utd 4, Carshalton Athletic 0
25 November:
Hastings Utd 0, Canvey Island 2
HUGH SULLIVAN
In a fortnight of mixed fortunes for the Hastings United team, a stirring win at home to Carshalton was sandwiched between two defeats. The loss away to Enfield Town was disappointing only in its result – the ‘U’s gave a good display, by all accounts, in an open game where they had as much play as the high-flying home side. They performed even better in a demolition of Carshalton on a raw Tuesday evening at Pilot Field. But last Saturday, with key players side-lined, they were well beaten by visitors Canvey Island.
John Ufuah – two goals against Carshalton
The trip to Enfield heralded the return, apparently for a season’s loan, of former Brighton and Hastings academy prospect Jack Bates, who has been at League 1 side Derby County since the summer of 2022. He turned just 20 this week, but his ability to create space for himself, run with the ball and pick a pass, marks him out as a natural playmaker in the centre of midfield.
Against Carshalton, manager Chris Agutter introduced another young recruit Sam Gale, aged 19, on short term loan from League 2 Gillingham. He slotted in well alongside Tommy Penfold in central defence when Jason Fregene was apparently unavailable, and kept his place for the match against Canvey Island.
The line-up for the match at Enfield featured a midfield of Bates, Adam Lovatt and Kian Moyes coaxing wide men John Ufuah and Freddie Legg to assist Davide Rodari as central striker. Moyes equalised Enfield’ s opener early in the second half and, although the home team scored twice more, the ‘U’s created a number of further chances at the other end which could have made the eventual 1-3 score-line rather different.
Three days later, at home to Carshalton, the midfield was strengthened with the inclusion of Jamal Lubanga, and this time the forwards found the target four times – two goals for Ufuah, one for Rodari and a first for Bates.
Against Canvey Island, Lovatt and Moynes were named as substitutes, but took no part, presumably because of injury concerns. They were certainly missed. JJ Walker and TT Waller were given starts instead, with Legg positioned strangely at right back. Despite the promptings of Bates, the team spent most of the first 45 minutes camped in their own half with Ufuah and Rodari isolated up front, and others offering little forward momentum. The team seemed to have negotiated their way through this first period to a 0-0 stalemate, thanks in part to smart goalkeeping by Charlie Grainger, until the last four minutes, when two crosses from the visitors’ left wing produced, in quick succession, two headed goals.
In the second half Okoye replaced Waller, and Tayo Oyebola eventually came on in place of Walker to play up front alongside Rodari. The Swiss striker, captain for the day, had a crisp shot well saved and put a header wide, but Canvey Island otherwise experienced few alarms in keeping their goal intact. The ‘U’s could have little complaint at the 2-0 final result.
They remain sixth in the league table, but their fixture against Horsham scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed so that the West Sussex side can fulfil an FA Cup second round tie against Sutton United (in place of Barnsley, who were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player in the first round).
Setting aside a Velocity Cup tie at Chichester on Wednesday this week, the ‘U’s won’t be in league action again until 9 December when they travel to Chatham, currently second in the table. They will hope to be back to fuller strength by then.
Isthmian League Premier Division Table (top six) As at 26 November
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | ||
| 1 | Hornchurch | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 13 | +37 | 44 |
| 2 | Chatham Town | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 29 | 20 | +9 | 33 |
| 3 | Enfield Town | 17 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 37 | 28 | +9 | 31 |
| 4 | Billericay Town | 15 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 11 | +10 | 29 |
| 5 | Wingate & F. | 17 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 31 | 34 | -3 | 28 |
| 6 | Hastings Utd | 17 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 27 | 25 | +2 | 26 |
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