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Late Sawyer blitz takes United to massive win - 24/3/08

A desperately poor encounter, that seemed to have a 1-0 home win written all over it, suddenly burst into life in the closing stages, with six goals being scored in the final twelve minutes plus stoppage time, including a hattrick for Frankie Sawyer, helping United to a first ever league victory over Folkestone that saw them leap out of the Premier Division relegation zone. United were scarcely good value for Sam Adams' first goal in ten games, which gave them a narrow half time lead, but they did improve in the second period, and Sam deservedly doubled the advantage, albeit with a goal that should never have counted, as the assistant referee missed a clear offside in the build-up. On as a late substitute, Frankie set up Russell Eldridge with his first touch to make the game safe, before claiming three smartly taken goals in the space of seven minutes himself, as Folkestone completely caved in, James Everitt's strike nothing more than scant consolation for the visitors.

Good Friday's rather sorry defeat at Ashford forced United manager Tony Dolby into a rethink about his team selections, the principle result being that Sam was pushed back into an attacking role alongside long time strike partner Ade Olorunda, with Danny Leach omitted from the sixteen man squad after a run of just one goal in eleven appearances since signing on loan from Eastbourne Borough. Rather than bringing in Antonio Gonnella to play wide on the right though, Lewes loanee Steve Elliott was also pushed into a more advanced position, Jimmy Elford switched from left back to right, and Nathan Simpson recalled to the starting line-up for the first time since the East Thurrock debacle. The visitors named seven of the side that had started the 1-0 win against United on Boxing Day, which proved to be Nigel Kane's final game in charge at the Pilot Field. Folkestone skipper Roland Edge missed the Christmas encounter, but took his place at left back this afternoon in an attacking 4-3-3 formation, unchanged from their own Good Friday victory over Harlow. On loan Colchester midfielder Tom Webb would pose the main threat to United throughout the contest though, with Leigh Bremner and Lloyd Blackman a potentially dangerous looking strike force.

There was certainly no sign of the late scoring spree to come in the opening exchanges, and it was the visitors who went closest to an early goal when Webb's well struck volley was expertly tipped over the bar by Lee Worgan. United also survived a vociferous penalty appeal, when Jimmy appeared to control a right wing cross with his arm before clearing, before Webb again went close with a twenty yard strike that flew narrowly wide of the target. Jimmy then got in a vital headed clearance, after Everitt climbed well to meet Charlie Glyde's far post corner, and it was much against the run of play that United took the lead in the twenty-third minute, Sam releasing Ade down the right hand side, and then timing his run into the area to perfection to meet a low cross with a scuffed right foot shot that dribbled into the corner past the badly exposed keeper Luke Stonebridge. Visibly lifted by the goal, United enjoyed a good spell of pressure, with Ade going close to converting Russell's low cross from the left, and then twice almost taking advantage of uncertain defending by Liam Friend, who appeared ill at ease in communicating with the youthful Stonebridge. United received another let-off in their own penalty area, as Rhys Whyborne appeared to shove Bremner as they contested a Kevin Watson cross, with Rhys then allowing Bremner to get goal side of him and clean through onto Edge's long ball, only to recover the ground sufficiently and clear the danger. The referee then infuriated United by refusing to stop the game when Russell suffered an apparent head injury, Webb advancing to get in another shot at goal from just outside the area, this time straight at Lee though, while United also had penalty appeals waved away, after Michael Everitt handled just inside the area, but the interval arrived with United hanging onto a slim lead, a clean sheet away from another priceless three points.

In stark contrast to the first half, United were the dominant force after the restart, although the match as a whole deteriorated in quality, with the visitors in particular looking heavy-legged and suddenly bereft of ideas whenever they crossed the halfway line. The declined penalty appeals tally was evened up, as Lee Carey tumbled under Friend's clumsy challenge, the loose ball running to Tim Olorunda, who fired an angled, twenty-five yard shot across goal and just wide of an upright. Rhys gave a neat illustration of why he still awaits his first goal for the Club, contriving to miss Lee's inswinging corner from point blank range, and United almost paid a price for that miss, as Nathan Russell's poor clearance presented Glyde with an opportunity that he shot wastefully high and wide. By the mid-point of the half, chances had become rather thin on the ground, although Steve stole in at the far post to meet Russell's free kick with a half volley that he was unable to keep down. A huge punt from Stonebridge then created an opening for Michael Everitt, but the midfielder dragged his left foot shot agonisingly across the face of goal and wide, and with that near miss, went Folkestone's last hope of salvaging anything from the game, as United went on a goal blitz in that crazy last quarter of an hour. Before all the fun began, Stonebridge seemed to have kept his side in the match with a superb save to keep out Steve's well struck shot after good work from Sam down the right, but he could do nothing to prevent Sam from eventually doubling United's lead, with a first time shot from inside the area, after Steve had broken onto Nathan Russell's long ball, both he and Sam a good couple of yards offside when the ball was played though. Sam's reward was to be able to sit out the closing stages, with Frankie introduced as an eighty-second minute substitute, his first touch releasing Russell down the left to turn inside Watson and fire past Stonebridge with a rare right foot shot. Ninety seconds later, Tim and Ade combined to set up Frankie on the right hand side of the area, where he rounded the keeper to score from a seemingly impossible angle, after which Invicta replacement John Ovard swung in a cross from the left for James Everitt to walk the ball past Lee Worgan to claim a goal back for the visitors. Any hope of an unlikely comeback was quickly extinguished though, as Antonio slotted an inch perfect pass through a now barely visible Folkestone defence for Frankie to again round Stonebridge to score with ease, while Steve's chipped cross two minutes into added time then picked out Frankie for a looping header to complete his remarkable late treble.

However flattering the final outcome might have been, the importance of this win, and the three points it generated against one of United's relegation rivals, cannot possibly be underestimated at such a key stage of the season. United's biggest league win since December 2001 also saw their first six goal league haul since November 1995, and the side deserve all the plaudits that come their way in the days ahead. But the real test now for United is to try and take the confidence to build on today's result on their travels to Heybridge on Saturday, knowing that their destiny is once again in their own hands.

Match facts	Efforts on target	Efforts off target	Free kicks conceded	Corners won	Offsides against
Hastings United	8	6	9	7	5
Folkestone Invicta	3	4	13	4	1

Hastings United (4-4-2)							Folkestone Invicta (4-3-3)
1 Lee Worgan							1 Luke Stonebridge
2 Jimmy Elford (c)							2 Kevin Watson
3 Nathan Simpson							3 Roland Edge (c)
4 Rhys Whyborne							4 Liam Friend
5 Nathan Russell							5 Michael Everitt
6 Lee Carey							6 Samuel Kola Okikiolu
7 Steve Elliott							7 Charlie Glyde
8 Tim Olorunda							8 Tom Webb
9 Ade Olorunda							9 James Everitt
10 Sam Adams							10 Lloyd Blackman
11 Russell Eldridge							11 Leigh Bremner
Substitutes
12 Danny Spice							12 John Ovard (for Glyde 74)
14 Frankie Sawyer (for Adams 82)							14 James Corbett (for Bremner 64)
15 Tony Dolby							15 Frankie Chappell
16 Antonio Gonnella (for T Olorunda 86)							16 Liam Dickson
17 Matt Maclean							GK Seb Barton

Attendance 587

Referee Steve Child (Beckenham)

Assistants Andrew Colwell (Eastbourne) & Dominic Lyons (Lewes)