FOOTBALL: United Dumped out of Two Cups
29 August: Faversham Town 2, Hastings United 2
2 September: Hastings 0, Faversham 3
6 September: Jersey Bulls 3, Hastings 1
HUGH SULLIVAN
The first week of September felt premature for Hastings United to banish ideas of major cup success this season. After all, it had hardly begun. But the ‘U’s will have to concentrate exclusively on their Isthmian League campaign now, having been dumped out of both the FA Cup and the FA Trophy in the space of four days last week.
Having overcome Harrow Borough in a preliminary round tie at the Pilot Field on 16 August, they were drawn to play away against Faversham Town two weeks later. The match was played on a Friday evening, with the Kent side coming into it as early leaders of the Isthmian South-East Division, unbeaten in their first four games.
The ‘U’s fielded an enterprising line-up: Callum Barlow, Fin Chapman and Jack Lyons played up front supported by Gil Carvalho, Charlie Ball and Charlie Scarles in midfield. They took the lead in the first half from a Chapman header and, with Harley Earle performing bravely between the posts, held their 1-0 advantage until the 89th minute when they conceded a penalty. It was taken for Faversham by former Hastings forward Tommy Fagg and duly dispatched. In the second minute of added time, United gained a free kick in a promising position, the goal attempt came back off the home crossbar, and Charlie Paye was on hand to knock it into the net to restore their lead. But two minutes later, under pressure in his own penalty area, Paye rifled the ball past Earle to concede a second equaliser.
Replays still follow draws at this stage of the competition, so the teams found themselves back at the Pilot Field four nights later. Hastings fielded the same team, save for Finlay Holter replacing Earle in goal. The game was scoreless in the first half, but Faversham went ahead on the hour mark, doubled their lead ten minutes later, and eventually completed a 3-0 win. Joe Clifford compounded the ‘U’s’ misery when he was sent off in added time.
Last Saturday the team flew to the island of Jersey for a match in the first qualifying round of the FA Trophy. Jersey Bulls are another side in the Isthmian South-East Division. They had drawn each of their three league games to date. Club captain Brad Barry was restored to the Hastings team along with Freddie Legg and James Hull, but there was no happy away day, as the home team scored right at the end of the first half and twice more in quick succession midway through the second. Lyons eventually netted a goal for Hastings to reduce the deficit to 3-1, but that was too little, too late.
After clean sheets in United’s first three league and cup games, they’ve conceded 11 goals in the next four – something for manager Lee Carey to work on as he ponders some tricky fixtures ahead. Tomorrow (Saturday) his side will be back at home in league action against Broadbridge Heath, and the following Saturday at home again against AFC Croydon Athletic, with an away trip to Sittingbourne on the Tuesday sandwiched in between. The current divisional table shows all three opponents among the top five.
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