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United stay in trouble as luck turns again - 1/3/08

The relegation trap-door remains wide open from United's perspective, as two goals in each half sent them to a heavy defeat away to second placed AFC Wimbledon this afternoon. United were the better side in the opening quarter of an hour, and Sam Adams and Nathan Simpson were both superbly denied by in-form Dons keeper James Pullen. But once Sam Hatton had fired the home side in front with a stunning free kick, United struggled to cope with the sheer pace of AFC Wimbledon's attacks, and soon found themselves further behind to Robin Shroot's close range effort. Around the hour mark, Danny Leach was desperately unlucky to hit the crossbar twice in a three minute spell, before a scrappy and hotly disputed own goal, credited to Lee Worgan, put the Dons out of reach, substitute Steven Ferguson adding to United's misery with a late headed fourth.

Heading into such a tough encounter, the last thing that United needed was to be without key personnel, but they were at both ends of the pitch, with defender Rhys Whyborne serving a one match suspension, and leading scorer Ade Olorunda sidelined through illness. Loan signing Steve Elliott was switched into the heart of the back four alongside Nathan Russell, with Danny Spice recalled to the right back position, while Antonio Gonnella started on the right hand side of midfield, allowing Sam Adams to partner Danny Leach in attack. Matt Maclean earned himself a place on the substitutes' bench once again, after a string of fine performances for the Reserves and Youth Teams, and the management duo of Tony Dolby and Mike Rutherford also named themselves, with John Bradley omitted from the sixteen. AFC Wimbledon were much changed from the side that won 3-1 at the Pilot Field in November, with only three of that starting eleven featuring from the outset today. Wimbledon legend Marcus Gayle had missed the earlier contest through injury, but was fit to take his place in the back four this afternoon, while Queens Park Rangers striker Romone Rose continued his work experience arrangement alongside Shroot in a livewire attacking partnership. The Dons also gave a debut to on loan Peterborough left winger Alfie Potter, who was amongst the goalscorers in Havant & Waterlooville's memorable FA Cup tie at Liverpool in January.

The opening ten minutes passed without a great deal of incident, and United looked far from overawed by the occasion, or the enormity of their task, competing well in all areas of the pitch. Sam went close to giving the visitors an eleventh minute lead, chipping over a misdirected cross from the left and forcing Pullen to tip the ball over the crossbar at the expense of a corner, while sixty seconds later, Tim Olorunda nodded down Lee Worgan's long clearance, and Nathan Simpson's speculative lob volley from twenty-five yards again had Pullen retreating rapidly for an acrobatic tip-over save. Sam found space at the near post from the ensuing corner, but headed well over, and he then sent a long range effort over the crossbar, moments after Pullen had comfortably dealt with Lee Carey's twenty-five yard free kick. The brief period of one-way traffic was interrupted by Rose running onto Mark Beard's long ball down the right, but Lee Worgan was quickly out to gather, and he also produced a routine save from Chris Hussey's long range shot. However, the home side then suddenly hit the front in the twentieth minute, much against the run of play, when Hatton's sublime strike from a free kick, awarded for a foul by Nathan Russell on Rose just outside the United area, flew over the defensive wall and high into the top corner of the net to Lee's right. United tried gamely to respond, and Tim chased an apparent lost cause down the right hand side, before hooking the ball across for Nathan Simpson to slice a volley well wide, but Tim paid a heavy price for his efforts, colliding with the perimeter barrier and suffering a back injury that would see him leave the action early in the second half. Gayle should have done better than to send a free header over from Potter's corner in the twenty-fifth minute, but as the home side started to take control of the game, a second goal looked to be on the cards, duly arriving from another Hatton set piece eight minutes later. Nathan Russell was again penalised for a foul on Rose, this time close to the corner flag on the United right, Hatton curling a simple cross to the near post for Shroot to escape his marker and turn a left foot shot into the far corner. The teams traded yellow cards in the final five minutes of the half, Tim cautioned for a dangerous tackle on Hatton, and Beard for a wild challenge on Nathan Simpson, but the Dons remained in the ascendancy in the lead-up to the interval, and almost extended their advantage still further, as skipper Jason Goodliffe glanced a header just wide from a Hussey free kick.

The second half started quietly enough, although AFC Wimbledon penalty appeals were waved away, as Tony Finn claimed to have been impeded by Jimmy Elford just inside the area. Hussey and Goodliffe both missed the target from decent positions, while Matt then replaced the clearly ailing Tim, going on to give a fine account of himself in the centre of midfield. Just past the hour mark, Antonio broke onto a long ball down the right hand side and sent over a superb cross for Danny to thump a left foot volley against the underside of the crossbar from barely six yards out, Hatton tracking back to prevent him from getting to the rebound. If that could be described as a bad finish, Danny's next contribution was riddled with bad luck, as he chased onto Nathan Russell's long ball and sent a tremendous chip over Pullen from twenty-five yards out, which again bounced back off the bar, Sam this time penalised for a foul as he tried to follow up and score. Rose twice went close at the other end, before United again spurned a good chance, Hussey putting his defensive colleagues under pressure with an awful clearance that gifted a chance to Nathan Russell, but his first touch was poor and Beard got back to knock him off his stride at the vital moment. As in the first half, United were made to pay for not making the most of the opportunities that had come their way, but only after Lee Worgan had produced an outstanding save to push away Finn's left foot strike that seemed destined for the top corner. Unfortunately, the resulting corner proved United's undoing, Potter's near post delivery met by Goodliffe's looping header, Lee trying to push the ball over the bar, but failing to make proper contact, the assistant referee controversially indicating that he believed it to have crossed the line before Lee was able to scoop it away at the second attempt. United were furious at the decision and Danny Spice talked his way into a caution, but the whole team was still reeling as the Dons quickly helped themselves to a fourth goal, Hussey breaking down the left and crossing to the near post for Ferguson to bury a header past Lee, barely two minutes after replacing Shroot. Lee Carey and Matt both went close to grabbing United a late consolation, and only a last ditch tackle from Danny Spice denied Rose the chance to make it five for the home side, although it would merely have given the slightly flattering scoreline an even harsher look from United's point of view.

On a day when there was a rather apparent gulf in class between the two sides, the key difference proved to be in their finishing prowess, as United were again left to rue missed chances and to wonder what might have been. With several other results today having gone against United as well, the midweek visit to second from bottom East Thurrock seems to have taken on even greater importance, with neither side really being able to afford a defeat. United have ten games left to save their season, perhaps none more vital than Tuesday's trip to Rookery Hill.

Match facts	Efforts on target	Efforts off target	Free kicks conceded	Corners won	Offsides against
AFC Wimbledon	10	5	14	7	3
Hastings United	3	6	9	6	1

AFC Wimbledon (4-4-2)							Hastings United (4-4-2)
1 James Pullen							1 Lee Worgan
2 Mark Beard							2 Danny Spice
3 Chris Hussey							3 Jimmy Elford (c)
4 Rob Quinn							4 Lee Carey
5 Jason Goodliffe (c)							5 Nathan Russell
6 Marcus Gayle							6 Steve Elliott
7 Tony Finn							7 Antonio Gonnella
8 Sam Hatton							8 Tim Olorunda
9 Robin Shroot							9 Sam Adams
10 Romone Rose							10 Danny Leach
11 Alfie Potter							11 Nathan Simpson
Substitutes
12 Steven Ferguson (for Shroot 75)							12 Frankie Sawyer (for Leach 80)
14 Antony Howard (for Gayle 68)							14 Matt Maclean (for Olorunda 54)
15 Mark De Bolla							15 Kevin Rose
16 Jake Leberl (for Quinn 80)							16 Tony Dolby (for Adams 88)
GK Elliot Ransom							17 Mike Rutherford

Attendance 2,711

Referee Mr L Venamore (Maidstone)

Assistants Messrs L Walshe (Northwood) & G Collins (Aldershot)