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Home record goes in low key Cup exit - 15/9/07

After a hugely impressive run of four successive home league wins, it took the distraction of an FA Cup first qualifying round tie to finally produce an indifferent effort from Nigel Kane's side, whose 100% record at the Pilot Field was ended by a Ramsgate outfit that used its superior physical prowess to supreme effect and emerged with the narrowest of victories. United simply failed to reproduce anything like the sort of form that had seen them start the season so well, and while the visitors were scarcely at their best either, they had enough about them to win a strangely lethargic contest, thanks to Steffan Ball's scrappy second half goal, and despite welcoming back Ade Olorunda, Sam Adams and Sean Ray from injury, United were unable to seriously test visiting keeper Paul Wilkerson throughout a largely forgettable ninety minutes.

The return to the line-up of three such key components as Ade, Sam and Sean, albeit that Sam started on the bench and played in a lightweight cast to protect his injured hand, should have served as a major boost to United's ambitions, although the good news was tempered by fact that Tim Olorunda faces a further few weeks on the sidelines whilst he receives ongoing treatment on his niggling groin strain. Danny Ellis was also suffering from a knock that left him unable to start the match, leading to Kevin Rose pushing forward to partner Ade in attack, where new signing Tom Poole was cup tied and absent. John Bradley was relegated to the substitutes' bench, while Tom Cusden and Jani Seitsonen dropped out of the sixteen man squad altogether. The visitors were much changed from the Rams side that last played at the Pilot Field a little under two years ago, during their 2005/06 Division One title winning campaign. Only skipper Warren Schulz and striker Shaun Welford started that match and remained for this one, although the imposing and influential Ball had only missed the 1-1 draw through injury. Goalkeeper Wilkerson had plenty of experience at a higher level from spells with Stevenage, Gravesend & Northfleet and Lewes, although on the whole, the Rams were a relatively young squad, but one with a powerful presence and a direct style that may not have made them pretty to watch, but which had seen them comfortably survive their first season at Premier Division level last year.

With Sean back in the line-up, United initially coped well with Ramsgate's long ball game, but they seemed intent on fighting fire with fire, allowing themselves to get sucked into similar tactics, and Ade and Kevin struggled to impose themselves on the visitors' well organised defence. Only when United got the ball down and passed it effectively did Ramsgate look uneasy at the back, but they did so too infrequently, and the final pass or attempt on goal was too often lacking in quality. A perfect illustration would be United's first opportunity in the eighteenth minute, Ade slipping a sublime pass inside the full back for Lee Carey to deliver a dangerous cross, only for Kevin to completely miss his kick at the near post. Defender Dan Tanner spurned the Rams' first chance, ghosting onto Ball's long free kick, but lifting his shot over the bar, those two chances being the sum total of the goalmouth activity in the opening half an hour. Ade was unlucky to be cautioned after winning the ball cleanly in a strong tackle on Dean Hill in front of the Ramsgate dugout, some sadly blatant gamesmanship from the visiting officials perhaps influencing the referee on that occasion, while full back Ashley Burton showed a good burst of pace to pass Russell and Jimmy Elford down the right, before drilling a low shot across the face of Lee Worgan's goalmouth. As the half neared a conclusion, Scott Kirkwood's deft flick set up Ade for a run on goal, but Wilkerson was quickly off his line to smother the ball, and the interval arrived with defences well on top and the contest desperately in need of a spark from somewhere.

The visitors appeared happiest to oblige, as they opened the second period with greater purpose, substitute Dan Dolton, who had replaced his ailing skipper before the break, forcing Lee into an early save to beat away his angled drive. Andy Hadden was off target, as United failed to defend a version of their own speciality short corners, while Lee again saved well to deny Simon Pettit after a swift counter-attack. Lee then tipped away Ball's teasing chipped cross from the right, while Lee Minchull shot disappointingly over from Wilkerson's long clearance. United finally broke the shackles, with Scott going close to turning in Russell's inswinging cross at the near post, but it was to prove only a brief respite, as Hill's long range strike brought another super save out of the unsighted Lee, at the expense of what was to be the decisive corner. Dolton's near post delivery was met by Hadden with a glancing header that looped onto the crossbar and bounced down inside the six yard box for Tanner to strike for goal, United doing enough to effect a block, but the rebound falling neatly for Ball to score with ease. Dolton might have quickly doubled the lead but for another decent save by Lee, after which Wilkerson was at last forced into action at the other end, tipping over Russell's free kick, and then ushering Sam's volley just wide of the upright. Ade escaped a second caution after a foul on Tanner, the referee this time ignoring the unnecessary appeals for censure from the Ramsgate players, but a sending off would have merely added insult to injury from United's point of view, as Danny Ellis, Sam and Jimmy wasted their three remaining half chances, before the referee called time and left the visiting fans to celebrate.

All good things must come to an end, as the saying goes, and it is perhaps as well that United's form deserted them in a cup match, rather than a vital league clash. There is now a week for Nigel to right the wrongs at least, before the Premier Division campaign resumes with first ever visits to Harlow Town and AFC Hornchurch in the space of three days.

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Hastings United (4-4-2)							Ramsgate (4-4-2)
1 Lee Worgan							1 Paul Wilkerson
2 Danny Spice							2 Ashley Burton
3 Jimmy Elford							3 Dean Hill
4 Rhys Whyborne							4 Nick Davis
5 Sean Ray (c)							5 Dan Tanner
6 Dan Williams							6 Lee Minshull
7 Lee Carey							7 Simon Pettit
8 Scott Kirkwood							8 Warren Schulz (c)
9 Ade Olorunda							9 Shaun Welford
10 Kevin Rose							10 Steffan Ball
11 Russell Eldridge							11 Andy Hadden
Substitutes
12 John Bradley							12 Michael Phillips
14 Sam Adams (for Rose 74)							14 Ben Laslett (for Hadden 76)
15 David Henham							15 Dan Dolton (for Schulz 40)
16 Danny Ellis (for Carey 71)							16 Will Graham (for Ball 82)
17 Nima Cham (for Williams 63)							17 Nick Bagley

Attendance 481

Referee Lee Collins (Aldershot)

Assistants Alex Neal (Farnham) & Matt Eva (Farnham)