| Horsham YMCA XI | (1) 1 | - 1 (1) |
Hastings United XI
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Not known 41
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Cruttenden 22
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A first half strike from Dominic Cruttenden earned United their third draw of the pre-season friendly programme at Gorings Mead this afternoon, but the effects of playing four games in eight days, exacerbated by sweltering hot weather conditions, made for relatively poor viewing at the home of Ryman Division One South side Horsham YMCA.
Manager Nigel Kane was without yet more prominent members of his regular First Team squad, as Ade Olorunda, Sam Adams and Kevin Rose joined Tim Olorunda, Rhys Whyborne and Dan Williams in missing proceedings, but the match did mark the return to action of Club captain Sean Ray, named as one of seven United substitutes after turning out for the Reserves on Thursday evening. Tom Cusden sat out the contest through injury, but Danny Ellis, John Bradley and Scott Kirkwood all returned to the starting line-up, Scott lining up against his former club.
Generally speaking, play was not helped by the over-long grass, which was inclined to hold the ball up, but United managed to master the conditions in the early stages, having much the better of the opening exchanges, and taking the lead in the twenty-second minute. Dominic won possession on the edge of the area and held off a couple of challenges before placing a shot past the home keeper for his first goal of the campaign. John had found only the side netting when well placed before the goal, and he then rattled the crossbar after the keeper failed to gather a cross cleanly, but United suddenly lost their dominance and conceded a sloppy equaliser four minutes before the interval when a mix-up on the edge of the area between Lee Worgan and his back four let in a home forward to find the empty net.
The second half became increasingly scrappy, as both sides made a number of substitutions and frequent, but necessary, stops for drinks detracted from the flow game. It is doubtful that either manager will have learned an awful lot more about their respective squads during that period, but once again though, United's largely inexperienced line-up coped adequately with everything that was asked of them.
The draw left United still seeking their first win of the campaign, with the next opportunity coming up on Tuesday evening, when Burgess Hill Town visit the Pilot Field.
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| Horsham YMCA XI | Hastings United XI (4-4-2)
| Line-up not available | 1 Lee Worgan
| | 2 Danny Spice
| | 3 Jimmy Elford
| | 4 Dave Henham
| | 5 Nathan Russell
| | 6 Danny Ellis
| | 7 Lee Carey (c)
| | 8 Scott Kirkwood
| | 9 Dominic Cruttenden
| | 10 John Bradley
| | 11 Russell Eldridge
| Substitutes |
| | Sean Ray (for Henham 45)
| | Nima Cham (for Bradley 45)
| | Dom Weston (for Kirkwood 45)
| | Josh Jirbandey (for Russell 52)
| | Matt Darby (for Eldridge 55)
| | Lee Jules (for Weston 78)
| | Brett Griffin (for Spice 80)
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Attendance Not announced
Referee Not announced
Assistants Not announced