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All hail the comeback kings - 21/8/07

United's powers of recovery will seldom have been tested as seriously as they were by Saturday's humbling experience at Billericay, but Nigel Kane's side bounced back in magnificent style at the Pilot Field this evening, picking up their first win and points as a Ryman Premier Division club, courtesy of a scintillating display and thumping victory over last season's Division One South champions. United ran up a three goal lead by the interval, Ade Olorunda opening the scoring with a ninth minute header, and creating the third for brother Tim with another header just before half time. In between times, Maidstone defender Nathan Paul was unfortunate to score his second own goal against United in as many games, while Ade produced the crowning glory with an early contender for goal of the season to put the seal on a convincing win. Sam Adams and Lee Carey also both hit the woodwork in an utterly dominant United display, with keeper Lee Worgan enjoying a surprisingly relaxed evening, in stark contrast to last weekend.

Having endured such an awful start to the campaign, Nigel decided to make four changes to his starting line-up for tonight's contest, albeit that one was enforced by Nathan Russell commencing a thirty-five day suspension. Tim returned from injury to take his place in the centre of midfield, partnering Lee Carey, who moved inside to accommodate Russell Eldridge's return from holiday, with Nima Cham relegated to the bench. Danny Ellis started on the right flank in place of Scott Kirkwood, but United's defence survived the midfield style cull, with only Rhys Whyborne omitted, Kevin Rose starting alongside skipper Sean Ray. Dominic Cruttenden was the unfortunate player to drop out of the sixteen man squad altogether. Maidstone arrived at the Pilot Field on the back of a 2-0 home defeat to Horsham on opening day, with a handful of new faces in strikers Craig Wilkins and Andy Martin, and defender Ben Lewis. Former United player Nick Hegley provided the attacking threat down the left flank, but the long throw prowess of Aaron Lacy would not be introduced from the bench until midway through the second half.

If United had been hoping to get off to a fast start, they weren't to be disappointed. A yard quicker to every loose ball, stronger in the tackle, and more purposeful in attack, chances were unexpectedly easy to come by, with Russell and Ade going close from outside the area inside the first seven minutes. The deadlock was then broken after barely nine minutes and United never looked back. Danny Ellis found himself in space down the right hand side and laid the ball back to Danny Spice, whose excellent cross found the unmarked Ade for a powerful downward header into the corner of Pat Mullin's net. A further eight minutes of seemingly incessant United pressure ended with a second goal that stemmed from a partially cleared Danny Spice long throw, Tim hooking the loose ball to the far post for Russell to win an aerial challenge against Paul, and although Mullin reacted well to keep out the header, the ball rebounded off the luckless defender and crossed the line before the keeper could respond for a second time. The visitors finally fashioned a scoring chance when Kevin was harshly penalised for a foul just outside the area, but Martin's free kick curled wide of the target. Mullin saved well to deny Ade from a narrow angle, with Sean heading wide from the ensuing corner, while Martin wasted a good chance at the other end, and Danny Spice was fortunate not to concede a penalty after appearing to upend Hegley in the area. United resumed their dominant stance in the latter stages of the half though, Sam Adams creating a chance out of nothing as Mullin attempted to usher the ball out of play near the corner flag, but his low centre rolled across the face of an empty goal to safety. Ade then scooped another Danny Spice cross over the bar, but United managed to grab a third goal before the interval, when Ade met Russell's corner with a glancing header and Tim applied the finishing touch from almost on the goalline.

With such a convincing advantage at the break, supporters might have been forgiven for expecting United to lay off the intensity after the restart, especially with Maidstone making two substitutions and reorganising in a 3-5-2 formation. Just ninety seconds into the second period though, Sam robbed Jason Barton of possession down the right hand side and unleashed a fearsome drive that thundered against the crossbar with Mullin well beaten. The keeper did pick himself up to superbly save Ade's follow-up effort, although any goal would have been ruled out for offside anyway. One substitute Lee Shearer looped a header straight at the largely redundant Lee Worgan, while the other, Mo Takalobighashi, saw a close range shot blocked by Sean's chest, although his raised arm suspiciously gave the impression that the visitors had been denied a penalty for a second time. Ade and Sam both saw goalbound efforts deflected away from the goal, before Ade came within inches of converting Russell's low cross after an enterprising run from Danny Ellis. In the final twenty minutes, Maidstone started to throw caution to the wind, leaving three or four men up front and gaping holes at the back, which United failed to exploit at times due only to an apparent desire to over elaborate in their opponents' final third. Despite their own attacking instincts though, Maidstone continued to create very little from open play, although Lewis whistled a twenty-five yard free kick narrowly wide with a quarter of an hour to go. As the clock ran down, Lee Carey decided on a more direct approach, as another United attack broke down, striking for goal from all of forty yards out near the home dugout, the ball slipping through the fingers of the perplexed Mullin and cannoning back of an upright. But the home faithful didn't have long to wait for their one final moment to cheer, Jimmy Elford playing a long ball down the left hand side and Ade hurdling Mario McNish's challenge, before chipping instinctively over Mullin from close to the corner flag for a goal of sublime quality that truly summed up United's supremacy on the night.

The standing ovation given to the team as they left the pitch evoked many happy memories of last season's epic promotion campaign, and although this season is still very much in its infancy, there is suddenly a tangible sense that United will be able to compete at this level after all. Plenty of new challenges lay ahead of course, but United are emphatically off the mark with this win, and can approach Saturday's first ever meeting with the Middlesex version of Ashford Town with confidence fully restored.

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Hastings United (4-4-2)							Maidstone United (4-4-2)
1 Lee Worgan							1 Pat Mullin
2 Danny Spice							2 Nathan Paul
3 Jimmy Elford							3 Jason Barton
4 Kevin Rose							4 Ben Lewis
5 Sean Ray (c)							5 Mario McNish
6 Lee Carey							6 Errison Ahwan
7 Danny Ellis							7 Sam Tydeman (c)
8 Tim Olorunda							8 Nick Hegley
9 Ade Olorunda							9 Andy Martin
10 Sam Adams							10 Craig Wilkins
11 Russell Eldridge							11 Alex Tiesse
Substitutes
12 Scott Kirkwood (for Ellis 88)							12 Aaron Lacy (for Tiesse 65)
14 John Bradley							14 Mo Takalobighashi (for Martin 45)
15 Rhys Whyborne (for Rose 78)							15 Lee Shearer (for Hegley 45)
16 Tom Cusden							16 Simon Austin
17 Nima Cham (for T Olorunda 81)							GK Michal Czanner

Attendance 710

Referee Sam Lewis (Rottingdean)

Assistants James Slaney (Brighton) & Dominic Lyons (Lewes)