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Stones stun United with first half blitz - 9/2/08

Three goals in six minutes midway through the first half condemned United to their first defeat in five matches and sent them back into the bottom four this afternoon, as relegation rivals Wealdstone claimed a vital victory at the Pilot Field. United looked marginally the better side in the opening twenty-five minutes, but an error from Jimmy Elford cost them the first goal, a mishit shot allowed the visitors to double their lead soon afterwards, while a penalty gave them a decisive advantage at the interval. Ade Olorunda pulled a goal back for United midway through the second period, but home supporters were left waiting for an onslaught that never came, as the visitors held on in some comfort to record their first win in seven outings.

For the third game running, United manager Tony Dolby named the same starting line-up and formation, there being little need to alter a winning formula maybe. There was one change amongst the substitutes, where Reserve Team skipper Jack Franklin returned to provide some more defensive midfield cover in favour of the more attack-minded Matt Maclean, while replacement keeper Paul Nessling found himself omitted from the final sixteen man squad. The visitors had signed two players on loan from Championship side Watford on the eve of the contest, defender Dale Bennett and striker Liam Henderson both going straight into the starting eleven, as Wealdstone made their first appearance at the Pilot Field since the opening day of the 1981-82 season. Leading scorer Peter Dean missed the game through suspension, and transfer listed midfield dynamo Lee O'Leary was named only on the bench, but the Stones did have an international amongst their ranks, keeper Keita Karamoko having previously represented Mali in the African Cup of Nations.

Any impression that Wealdstone would be a soft option, after a run of matches against promotion contenders, was soon dispelled as the visitors took the game to United from the kick off, with left back Lee Chappell forcing Lee Worgan into an early save from a twenty yard shot. Graeme Montgomery then drove a longer range effort wide of the target, but United were beginning to look menacing in attack themselves and, when Ade turned swiftly onto an Antonio Gonnella cross, he perhaps should have done better than to drag a shot across the face of goal and wide from the corner of the six yard box. Sam Adams then led a quick break down the right hand side, but with Ade and Russell Eldridge both well placed in the area, the ball took a cruel bobble and caused him to slice his attempted cross tamely behind for a goal kick. Antonio suffered a similar fate a few moments later after racing onto Ade's through ball, Wealdstone breaking quickly thereafter, forcing Jimmy Elford to retreat and deny Stephen Hughes a clear run on goal. A neat one-touch move involving Tim Olorunda and Antonio ended with Lee Carey firing a shot wide, but United continued to look dangerous, especially from corners, with Karamoko scarcely inspiring confidence in his defenders by looking ill at ease under the high ball. At the other end, Lee Worgan was almost embarrassed by an awkwardly bouncing cross from the left, which rebounded off his chest into the path of Hughes, whose weak shot was easily gathered, while Montgomery saw two efforts deflected wide for corners, as the visitors worked their way back into the game as the half wore on. Even so, the opening goal in the twenty-seventh minute came much against the run of play, and very much out of nothing, Jimmy stumbling as he received a pass across the back four, presenting possession and a free run on goal to Henderson, who advanced to easily beat Lee for a debut goal. Things got worse for United just three minutes later, as Jimmy initially failed to deal with Chappell's deep cross, before doing well to block a volley from Henderson, the loose ball being gathered by Andre Delisser for a mishit shot across the edge of the area, which sat up perfectly for Montgomery to lash a left foot shot past the helpless Lee and into the top corner. Hughes then headed over from Montgomery's near post corner, before getting his name on the scoresheet from the penalty spot, having been fouled himself by Danny Spice in the corner of the area, bringing to an end a nightmare period for United, from which they never looked like recovering. Just before the interval, Ade headed over from a Lee Carey free kick, but United appeared almost shellshocked as they headed off for half time, in desperate need of some words of inspiration, not to mention a miracle or three as well.

It was on this very same Saturday a year ago that United had staged that astonishing recovery from three goals down to draw at Dulwich, then manager Nigel Kane making two substitutions ahead of the restart in an effort to change the course of the match. Tony reacted likewise this afternoon, bringing on recent signings Danny Leach and Nathan Simpson ahead of the restart in place of Antonio and Danny Spice respectively, with Jimmy and Sam switching to the right hand of defence and attack to accommodate the new arrivals. An early and half-hearted penalty appeal was waved away as Danny tumbled under challenge from Bennett, and United continued to accumulate plenty of attempts off target, with Tim and Sam both firing well wide from outside the area. Ryan Ashe curled a long range free kick into Lee Worgan's arms on a rare Wealdstone visit into the United half, but despite their dominance of both territory and possession, United were failing to exert any great deal of pressure on the shaky looking Karamoko. In the sixty-fifth minute however, they finally grabbed themselves a lifeline, when the keeper twice failed to gather crosses into his six yard box, first from Russell's corner, and then from Sam's follow-up, the ball running to Rhys Whyborne, whose shot was blocked on the line by Robert Rice, only for Ade to pounce on the rebound for his ninth goal of the season. Another quick strike could have made for a very interesting spectacle, and Sam nearly obliged, cutting in from the right and drilling a wayward left foot shot that just evaded Danny and Ade in the area, while Ade was then denied the opportunity to run onto Danny's through ball by Rice's brilliant cover tackle. With the visitors starting to look increasingly comfortable, the match was threatening to drift to its inevitable conclusion, although United appeared more unfortunate to have a second penalty appeal turned down when Ade was bundled over by James Gray's clumsy challenge. Nathan Russell's dreadful backpass almost let in substitute Ben Alexander for a fourth goal for Wealdstone, but United had enough defenders back to clear the danger, while deep into stoppage time, United might have snatched a second consolation goal but for a superb block tackle by Bennett that prevented Ade from getting a shot away inside the area.

A case of two steps forward and one back for United then, and another disappointing defeat against one of the sides battling with them near the foot of the table. And while there are still plenty of points left to play for, United's next two fixtures will provide them with huge tests of character, as they travel for the return match against Staines on Tuesday, and visit Horsham for the second time this season in seven day's time.

Match facts	Efforts on target	Efforts off target	Free kicks conceded	Corners won	Offsides against
Hastings United	3	9	10	11	1
Wealdstone	7	5	19	4	2

Hastings United (4-4-2)							Wealdstone (4-4-2)
1 Lee Worgan							1 Keita Karamoko
2 Danny Spice							2 Robert Rice
3 Jimmy Elford (c)							3 Lee Chappell
4 Rhys Whyborne							4 James Gray
5 Nathan Russell							5 Dale Bennett
6 Russell Eldridge							6 Ryan Ashe
7 Antonio Gonnella							7 Andre Delisser
8 Tim Olorunda							8 Chris O'Leary (c)
9 Ade Olorunda							9 Liam Henderson
10 Sam Adams							10 Stephen Hughes
11 Lee Carey							11 Graeme Montgomery
Substitutes
12 Danny Leach (for Gonnella 45)							12 Ben Alexander (for Hughes 67)
14 Nathan Simpson (for Spice 45)							14 Marcus Gross
15 Kevin Rose							15 Lee O'Leary
16 Frankie Sawyer							16 Dean Papali
17 Jack Franklin

Attendance 523

Referee Lloyd Rendell (Worthing)

Assistants Robert Wilkins (Worthing) & Philip Wilks (Hove)