Latest match report

First Team reports | Reserve Team reports | Youth Team reports

Rose stuns leaders with last minute leveller - 5/1/08

In the face of considerable adversity, and with the odds well and truly stacked against them, United recorded arguably their best result of the season this afternoon, holding league leaders and title favourites Chelmsford City to a 1-1 draw at their own Melbourne Park ground. Kevin Rose came off the bench and struck with an astonishing forty yard volley in the ninetieth minute, as United's injury and suspension hit side somehow managed to salvage a point from a match that the home side really ought to have long since put beyond their reach. But the Clarets put on a curiously lacklustre display after skipper Jeff Minton had given them the lead, following up to score at the second attempt after Lee Worgan had saved his tenth minute penalty, with some poor finishing and one further outstanding save from Lee keeping United in the game, and giving them the belief to go on and earn an unlikely share of the spoils.

Having this week accepted an offer to continue as caretaker manager and assistant, while the Club began its search for Nigel Kane's permanent successor, John Lambert and Wayne Farrier faced up to a major challenge for their first game in complete control of team affairs. Already without injured defender Dan Williams, one match suspensions also robbed United of midfielder Tim Olorunda and striker Sam Adams for their toughest test of the campaign to date, while the decision to release full back Ryan Andrews really left John and Wayne down to the bare bones in terms of senior personnel. As a consequence, Matt Maclean was handed a full debut, a week after being sent off on his return to First Team action, with Reserve and Youth Team skipper Jack Franklin also starting, two and a half months after his only previous senior appearance. Recently signed from Westfield, and after only four games for the Reserves, Ashley Paine was included from the outset as well, part of a five man defence, with Matt and Jack essentially operating in a four man midfield, although Matt was asked to play as the link man to Ade Olorunda's lone centre forward role. Russell Eldridge was recalled to the substitutes' bench, joined by Scott Kirkwood, Frankie Sawyer and replacement keeper Paul Nessling. Chelmsford were just getting over an injury crisis of their own, and named seven of the side that started the reverse fixture at the Pilot Field in early October. Vastly experienced City skipper Minton was again expected to pull the strings in the heart of midfield, while the mercurial talents of Ricky Holmes had brought him to the attention of many a Football League scout this season. Recent signing Oliver Berquez was another significant presence in the middle of the park, but joint leading scorer Kezie Ibe was only fit enough to start on the bench.

The match quickly settled into a predictable pattern, with Chelmsford seeing plenty of possession and pinning United back in their own half for long periods. Minton's potential influence on the game was clear from the opening kick off, with City's slick passing game being effectively run by the former Brighton man, while the unfamiliar faces in, and formation of, United's defensive system suffered inevitable teething problems, individuals struggling at times to establish who to mark, especially with the home side also playing with only one man up front, supported by runs from an exceedingly attack-minded midfield. United survived the early exchanges though and already looked to be gaining in confidence, when they suffered the ultimate setback, Danny Spice clumsily bringing down Holmes as he ghosted into the area for an obvious penalty, and although Lee was equal to Minton's spot kick, he was powerless to keep out the rebound as well. Conceding in the tenth minute might conceivably have forced United into an early tactical change, but they stuck resolutely to their gameplan regardless, managing to restrict Chelmsford to a handful of long range efforts throughout the remainder of the first half, during which Minton and defender Dean Palmer were both forced out of the action by injury. United suffered a massive blow as well though, with Ade injuring his right hamstring after stretching to fire a shot over Danny Gay's crossbar, bringing Frankie into the fray after only half an hour. Lee Carey forced Gay into a routine save later in the half, but despite their own apparent lack of goalscoring threat, United were at least able to head in for the interval having fairly successfully negated the hosts' attacking prowess as well.

Unsurprisingly, the second half proceeded to mirror the first, with City playing the more attractive football, and finally managing to get behind the United defence down the flanks on a more regular basis, with right back Lee Protheroe in particular finding the time and space to deliver some telling crosses into the area. Jamie England and Ibe both wasted chances as the half wore on, with Aidan Collins and Mario Noto having earlier been guilty of profligate finishing, the latter blazing a shot high and wide from close range after Rhys Whyborne had made a hash of an attempted clearance. Lee Worgan was well placed to stop a stinging drive from Ibe, before producing a superb reaction save to keep out a powerful downward header from Berquez, as City lost another opportunity to make the points safe. Gay was forced to scamper out of his area to head clear Danny's through ball, with Frankie and Matt waiting to pounce, and the City keeper then comfortably gathered Jack's long range effort, although Chelmsford were showing signs of nervousness at the back, with United starting to commit more players forward and the midfield quartet beginning to display a neat range of passing and movement to rival some of the home side's earlier play. Noto wasted yet another excellent chance to double the lead, firing over from just inside the area after some sublime skill from Ibe, while Berquez shot straight at Lee when well placed, but that was nothing but a prelude to United's stunning leveller just seconds before the contest drifted into added time. Kevin had replaced the ailing Ashley with a quarter of an hour remaining, and had merely proceeded to collect his fifth caution of the season, followed by a final warning after he committed another couple of fouls in quick succession. The home side probably sensed little danger when he collected the ball on halfway and slipped past Holmes' tired challenge, only to concede possession with a poor forward pass. Having been presented the ball back again though, he looked up to assess his options, spotted Gay well off his line, and quite simply hammered a lob volley over the backpedalling keeper's outstretched arms and into the top corner of the net for a remarkable goal, and one well worthy of the point it rescued for United.

Without wishing to ruin the moment, it should perhaps be observed that United still remain winless in all but one of their last fourteen matches now, but having conceded a glut of last gasp goals this season, to score one themselves today could just be evidence of an upturn in fortunes, while the result, however it was attained, can hopefully serve as a reminder of happier times earlier in the campaign. It is too soon to say that the corner has been turned of course, but if United can build on this platform at home to AFC Hornchurch next weekend, maybe someone can switch on that light at the end of the tunnel once again.

Match facts	Efforts on target	Efforts off target	Free kicks conceded	Corners won	Offsides against
Chelmsford City	6	9	11	6	2
Hastings United	3	2	14	1	5

Chelmsford City (4-5-1)							Hastings United (5-4-1)
1 Danny Gay							1 Lee Worgan
2 Lee Protheroe							2 Danny Spice
3 Stuart Ainsley							3 Jimmy Elford (c)
4 Aidan Collins							4 Rhys Whyborne
5 Dean Palmer							5 Nathan Russell
6 Jamie England							6 Ashley Paine
7 Oliver Berquez							7 Antonio Gonnella
8 Jeff Minton (c)							8 Jack Franklin
9 Jon Keeling							9 Ade Olorunda
10 Bertie Brayley							10 Lee Carey
11 Ricky Holmes							11 Matt Maclean
Substitutes
12 Kezie Ibe (for Keeling 62)							12 Frankie Sawyer (for Olorunda 31)
14 James Lawson							14 Kevin Rose (for Paine 76)
15 Mario Noto (for Minton 21)							15 Scott Kirkwood
16 Greg Oates (for Palmer 45)							16 Russell Eldridge
GK Ashley Harrison							GK Paul Nessling

Attendance 1,076

Referee Mr J P Magill (Colchester)

Assistants Messrs M J Cottee (Hornchurch) & G K Bellingham (Grays)