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Carey double grabs controversial point - 1/9/07

United were almost literally handed a dramatic stoppage time equaliser this afternoon, as they earned their first away point of the season against a Wealdstone side forced to switch the contest to the spartan surroundings of Harrow Borough's Earlsmead ground. Lee Carey was the beneficiary of a blunder by the match officials, as he was allowed to get away with blatantly controlling the ball on his arm, before firing his second goal of the game, to bring the scores level for the third time in the final moments of a pulsating, end-to-end encounter, in which attack was made to appear very much the best form of defence, and neither back line looked remotely at ease throughout the ninety minutes. After a sterile start, Ade Olorunda fired United ahead midway through the first half, although the lead lasted less than a minute, and the home side then hit the front just before the interval. Danny Ellis won United a penalty shortly after the restart, converted by Lee, and United seemed the more likely to take the three points, only for Wealdstone to go back in front with ten minutes remaining, before United's hotly disputed late leveller saw honours finish even.

Having come through ninety minutes for the Reserves on Tuesday, Dan Williams was belatedly reinstalled to the heart of the United midfield this afternoon, where he linked up with Scott Kirkwood, retaining his place after the defeat at Tonbridge on Bank Holiday Monday. Lee moved out to the right flank, with Danny pushed up front alongside Ade, after manager Nigel Kane experienced another frustrating week in his search for a replacement for the injured Sam Adams. John Bradley dropped to the substitutes' bench, where he was joined by an almost fully fit again Tim Olorunda, but Kevin Rose and Tom Cusden both missed out, as United named only a fourteen man squad. Wealdstone's own squad was conspicuous by its absence of familiar names, United not having played the Stones for over twenty-five years. Currently going through a keeper crisis, Mali international Keita Karamoko had been recently signed to play in goal, while Chris and Lee O'Leary would provide the grit and experience in midfield, with Dean Papali and Peter Dean a lively combination in attack.

The match got off to a fairly sluggish start, on a pitch that had clearly not seen a lawnmower for a number of days. Scott and Ade were off target with long range efforts for United, while Papali at least forced Lee Worgan into action to tip away an attempted chip from just outside the area. Dean wasted another decent opening, shooting tamely at Lee when well placed, while Russell Eldridge found himself in space at the other end, only to delay his shot and allow defender Luke Muldowney to block his initial effort, the follow-up flying over the bar. After a fairly humdrum opening twenty-seven minutes though, the contest suddenly burst into life with a goal at either end in the space of sixty seconds. United struck first, Dan and Lee combining down the right hand side for Danny Ellis to chip an inviting cross between two defenders and into Ade's path for a close range finish. Straight from the kick off, Wealdstone were awarded a dubious free kick for a foul by Rhys on Papali, when the striker simply appeared to have tripped over the ball rather than any foul challenge, and from Graeme Montgomery's excellent inswinging delivery, Dean managed to prod the ball past Lee Worgan and into the corner. Chris O'Leary, Alan Massey and Montgomery all went close to putting the home side in front, as United struggled to impose themselves on the game, although Danny's chipped cross so nearly found the head of both Sean Ray and Ade, and the outstretched boot of Lee Carey, from a rare sortie into home territory. Montgomery dragged another great chance wide of the upright, and Papali made a hash of another attempted chip over Lee Worgan, while Rhys effected a miraculous clearance from underneath his own crossbar to keep out Dean's far post shot. A second Wealdstone goal certainly looked on the cards however, and it arrived a minute into added time, Ryan Ashe firing in a twenty yard shot, which carried sufficient power to beat Lee's dive, all stemming from United's failure to deal with a Montgomery corner.

After looking rather out of sorts toward the end of the first half, particularly at the back, where the home side's passing and movement were causing all manner of problems, United were exceedingly grateful for the gift that got them back into the game just a couple of minutes into the second period. There seemed little danger to the home side when Russell headed on Lee Carey's crossfield pass, but instead of clearing to safety, Muldowney dithered on the ball on the right hand side of his own penalty area, lost possession to Danny Ellis, and foolishly brought him down for a spot kick, calmly converted by Lee to bring the scores level again. Then restricting their opponents to just a couple of harmless long range efforts, United assumed control of proceedings, Ade glancing a header across the face of goal from a Danny Spice long throw, Tim sending a dipping volley just over from all of thirty yards, and Massey almost heading another long throw past his own keeper. Andre Delisser, on as a substitute for the tiring Papali, missed one good chance not long after coming on, but he was then in the right place at the right time to restore Wealdstone's lead against the run of play with only ten minutes left. A long throw was glanced on by Montgomery, gifting Dean a headed chance from point blank range, from which he contrived to hit the bar, but with United appealing that the ball had gone behind for a goal kick, Montgomery was alert enough to hook it back into the six yard box, where Delisser was left with an open goal. With United pushing forward in search of a final equaliser, they were leaving gaps in defence, and only a superb cover tackle from Jimmy Elford denied Lee O'Leary a simple chance to make the points safe. But it was United, or perhaps the officials, who would have the final word, as Ade flicked on Russell's long throw for Lee to steal in at the far post, bring the ball down with his right arm, and steer a shot past Karamoko to salvage a point.

United were probably due a draw, after winning two and losing two of their first four games of the season, and it was enough to just about keep them in the top half of the table. They also proved themselves capable of scoring goals without Sam in the side to partner Ade, although the defence looked worryingly out of sorts, with much work needed ahead of Tuesday's tough home encounter with Margate.

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Wealdstone (4-4-2)							Hastings United (4-4-2)
1 Keita Karamoko							1 Lee Worgan
2 Luke Muldowney							2 Danny Spice
3 Lee Chappell							3 Jimmy Elford
4 Alan Massey							4 Rhys Whyborne
5 Graham Hall							5 Sean Ray (c)
6 Ryan Ashe							6 Dan Williams
7 Lee O'Leary							7 Lee Carey
8 Chris O'Leary (c)							8 Scott Kirkwood
9 Dean Papali							9 Ade Olorunda
10 Peter Dean							10 Danny Ellis
11 Graeme Montgomery							11 Russell Eldridge
Substitutes
12 Fergus Moore							12 John Bradley (for Kirkwood 76)
14 Chris Owens (for Montgomery 83)							14 Tim Olorunda (for Williams 55)
15 Josh Cooper							15 Dominic Cruttenden (for Spice 88)
16 Andre Delisser (for Papali 61)
GK Mitch Swain

Attendance 245

Referee Mr K Hames

Assistants Messrs G Collins & A Mawby