FOOTBALL: United Gear Up For New Season
HUGH SULLIVAN
Hastings United kick off a new season of the Isthmian Premier League at the Pilot Field next Saturday 10 August. Their first opponents will be Horsham, play-off semi-finalists three months ago, who beat the ‘U’s in three successive games earlier this year – 2-0 in Hastings in February, 2-1 at Horsham in March, and 3-0 in the Sussex Senior Cup Final at the Amex Stadium in May.
Sean Ray, new United head coach, in his playing days
Incoming Hastings manager Danny Bloor is unlikely to be fazed by that recent history. He seems to have succeeded in retaining the majority of last season’s first team squad, as was his stated intention on appointment, and they have embarked on a series of friendly matches across Kent and Sussex since the middle of July to prepare.
Davide Rodari will continue to lead the attack, with a strong midfield behind him including Adam Lovatt, Jack Dixon, Sam Cruttwell and Kian Moynes. They will miss winger Johan Ufuah, who both scored and created a large number of goals in Chris Agutter’s team of last year, but has signed for National League side Slough Town. They have also lost the services of defender and long throw specialist Ollie Black, who has been recruited by Agutter in his new managerial role at Worthing. The teenage mainstay of last season’s defence, Sam Gale, who was on loan from Gillingham, will also be gone, no doubt hoping for opportunities in more elevated company with his parent club.
Coming in are a left-footed attacker Tom Edwards, who was with Bloor at Eastbourne Borough, and Kane Penn, returning for a second spell in Hastings after performing well at full-back in Gary Elphick’s promotion-winning side of two years ago.
Another returnee to the first team is new head coach, Sean Ray. The Pilot Field faithful will remember him as a stalwart over many seasons in central defence, making more than 350 appearances in a Hastings shirt, including participation in the famous FA Cup run of 2013. Now 43, he went on playing with Hollington United until four years ago, when he retired as a result of ongoing knee problems, but continued to coach at the academy.
So what style of football will the new management team engender? Supporters may hope for a team that plays a little quicker and more expansively than those coached by Agutter. The Southgate formula of passing sideways and backwards out of defence certainly had its critics on the international stage this summer, and Bloor indicated at a fans forum a couple of months ago that he would direct his players to “adapt” to the conditions they will be playing under.
We’ll see what that means soon enough. Following the opener against Horsham, further league fixtures come rapidly: away to Whitehawk on the evening of Tuesday 13 August; home to Bognor Regis Town on Saturday 20th; away to Potters Bar Town on Saturday 24th, and home again to Folkestone Invicta on Bank Holiday Monday.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this article. The future of our volunteer led, non-profit publication would be far more secure with the aid of a small donation. You can also support local journalism by becoming a friend of HIP. It only takes a minute and we would be very grateful.
Leave a Reply