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Haule hattrick drags United back into the mix - 5/4/08

A rousing second half fightback was all in vain, as United slid to an agonising defeat by the odd goal in seven, in an absorbing encounter against play-off chasing Hendon at the Pilot Field this afternoon. The visitors played the better football in a relatively quiet opening forty-five minutes, and were good value for the interval advantage given them by striker Davis Haule. When the same player doubled that lead eleven minutes after the restart, it appeared that Hendon would ease to victory, but Russell Eldridge and Ade Olorunda scored within ninety seconds of each other to suddenly bring the scores level, only for Haule to almost instantly complete a headed hattrick to put his side in front once again. A sublime chip by Sam Adams with eleven minutes remaining then looked to have earned United a point, but an equally stunning effort from Lubomir Guentchev five minutes from time ultimately gave Hendon a win that they just about deserved, although Russell went desperately close to snatching a draw for United in stoppage time.

United manager Tony Dolby was forced to make one change from the starting line-ups that had produced vital victories over Folkestone and Heybridge since Easter, with Tim Olorunda serving a one match suspension imposed after his sending off at Ashford on Good Friday. Rather than opting for a straight swap though, and including Matt Maclean, he chose to shuffle his pack by moving Steve Elliott into a central midfield role, asking Sam to play on the right flank, and bringing in Frankie Sawyer to partner Ade up front. As it transpired, the changes failed to have the desired effect, and Matt replaced Frankie at the interval, returning Steve and Sam to the positions in which they had looked so comfortable of late. Also on the bench for United were Danny Leach, back from a two game injury enforced absence, and Reserve Team defender Ben Radley, with Tony leaving himself out of the sixteen man squad. The visitors lined up with eight of the side that had started the entertaining 3-3 draw against United at Claremont Road back in late October, which until the recent demolition of Folkestone, had been the last time that United had scored more than two goals in a game. Hendon skipper James Parker was absent, the armband taken by young defender Sam Page, who was joined in the squad by his brother Jack, a recent work experience signing from Leyton Orient. One member of each of the Haule and Guentchev siblings accounted for the visitor's goal tally, with the latter being the sons of Bontcho Guentchev, a former Bulgarian international, currently First Team Coach at the North London side.

Neither side was able to make early inroads, with a bouncy and bumpy playing surface playing its part in what became a disjointed affair, although both teams tried their best to master the conditions and to pass the ball around whenever possible. An early cross from Sam seemed to catch Frankie unawares in the area, while Moroccan striker Belal Aiteouakrim provided the first shot of the game in the tenth minute, but dragged it wide of Lee Worgan's near post. A fine headed clearance from Nathan Simpson denied Davis Haule the chance of getting his own head to Lubomir Guentchev's acrobatic cross, while Frankie and Sam then appeared to get in each other's way following Russell's excellent left wing cross, and a good interception by Marc Leach prevented Frankie from getting on the end of Ade's low centre after a break down the right. With defences on top, goalmouth action was kept to a premium, and neither goalkeeper had been forced to make a save of note by the time that Hendon took the lead five minutes before the break, a free kick from early substitute Danny Dyer picking out the unmarked Lee O'Leary on the edge of the United area, he in turn heading it towards Rakatahr Hudson inside the area, who then picked out Haule on the edge of the six yard box for a simple finish past Lee. United responded well and finished the half on top, Ade almost running onto Lee Carey's long ball, only to be robbed by Page's excellent cover tackle, and Nathan Russell going close with a glancing header from Lee's free kick, but the visitors had undoubtedly edged the opening period in terms of possession and chances, and were looking worthy promotion candidates too.

Hendon were forced into a second substitution at half time, with Brian Haule joining his elder brother in attack, but it was United's tactical switch that threatened to pay early dividends, as Matt won the ball in midfield and set up Sam for a long range drive that dipped just over the bar. The visitors were soon back in relative control however, physically stronger in almost every department, but employing an impressive passing game that United were struggling to match, and the simplicity of their second goal spoke volumes for their increasing dominance, as Guentchev broke into space down the left and clipped over an inviting cross from which Davis Haule could hardly fail to score. Within two minutes, Hendon almost added a third, as Dyer's deep cross found Guentchev in space beyond the far post, but Lee Worgan did well to block his well struck left foot shot, and Jamie Busby was unable to keep the rebound down. Sam and Ade were combining to good effect for United. but Leach and Page still seemed to have the upper hand in that particular battle, at least until the sixty-fifth minute, when Lee Worgan's quickly taken free kick set up a devastating United counter-attack, which saw Steve play in Sam down the right hand side, with Leach stepping up hopelessly looking for offside, and allowing Sam a clear run on goal for a shot that Luke Blackmore could only divert into Russell's path around the penalty spot, United's rejuvenated left winger coolly slotting home his third goal in four games with the outside of his left foot. Almost straight from the kick off, United won back the ball in midfield, and Lee Carey sent a long ball over the top of the retreating Hendon defence, and although Dyer appeared to have won the race, it was Ade who claimed the final touch for his fourteenth goal of the season, as the ball looped over the advancing Blackmore to level the scores. As suddenly as United had fought back though, so Hendon restored their lead, with the softest goal of the game from United's point of view, Hudson's largely innocuous lob into the area causing far more confusion than it ought, as Jimmy Elford and Lee Worgan appeared to leave the ball for each other, gifting Haule with a free header from six yards out that he gratefully buried to complete his treble. Sam volleyed over for United from twenty-five yards out, while O'Leary also missed the target with an even longer range free kick, but both sides seemed intent on adding to their respective goal tallies, and it was United who succeeded next, when Sam turned into space on the left hand side and advanced towards the area, before spotting Blackmore well off his line and chipping a magnificent shot over the stranded keeper. Five minutes later, Ade set up Steve for a similar effort from the other side of the area, which drifted just wide of the far post, and United looked capable of grabbing a dramatic winner, only for Hendon to do so themselves, when Guentchev let fly with a left foot shot from twenty-five yards that gave Lee Worgan no chance as it clipped the underside of the crossbar on its way into the back of the net. Danny Leach was introduced as an additional attacking option for the final few minutes, as United poured forward in search of yet another equaliser, and they could not have come much closer than when Ade, Danny and Sam all combined in a sweeping move from left to right that eventually found Russell in space on the right hand side of the area, but the final pass forced him onto his right foot and he failed to keep his shot down.

Although the defeat was certainly a blow to United's survival hopes, this was another performance that showed how far United have come in the three months since Tony took charge. Hendon were certainly one of the better footballing sides to have visited the Pilot Field this season, and perhaps the best since AFC Wimbledon called in for three points back in November, but United matched them blow for blow in an enthralling second half display, and will hopefully travel to Carshalton next week in good heart, despite narrowly missing out this afternoon.

Match facts	Efforts on target	Efforts off target	Free kicks conceded	Corners won	Offsides against
Hastings United	4	6	18	3	1
Hendon	6	6	10	6	3

Hastings United (4-4-2)							Hendon (4-4-2)
1 Lee Worgan							1 Luke Blackmore
2 Jimmy Elford (c)							2 Casey Maclaren
3 Nathan Simpson							3 James Burgess
4 Rhys Whyborne							4 Marc Leach
5 Nathan Russell							5 Sam Page (c)
6 Lee Carey							6 Jamie Busby
7 Sam Adams							7 Rakatahr Hudson
8 Steve Elliott							8 Lee O'Leary
9 Ade Olorunda							9 Lubomir Guentchev
10 Frankie Sawyer							10 Belal Aiteouakrim
11 Russell Eldridge							11 Davis Haule
Substitutes
12 Danny Leach (for Elliott 86)							12 Brian Haule (for Aiteouakrim 45)
14 Ben Radley							14 Ben Hudell
15 Mike Rutherford							15 Iavor Guentchev
16 Antonio Gonnella							17 Danny Dyer (for Maclaren 15)
17 Matt Maclean (for Sawyer 45)							18 Jack Page (for D Haule 86)

Attendance 463

Referee Ian Gosling (Sittingbourne)

Assistants Baris Erguven (Brighton) & Robert Wilkins (Worthing)