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United take care of business with ease - 26/4/08

United's final game of an extraordinary season, played out on an afternoon that had threatened to be filled with tension and drama, turned out to be a contest as benign as the warm and sunny Spring weather, with bottom of the table and long since relegated Leyton providing mercifully tame resistance, as Tony Dolby's side collected a routine three points that saw them safely keep their place amongst the Ryman League elite for the 2008/09 campaign. First half headers from Nathan Russell and Tim Olorunda, both from Lee Carey free kicks, gave United a comfortable half time cushion, and with updates from Boreham Wood's five goal capitulation at Ramsgate coming through thick and fast soon after the restart, United and their fantastic travelling supporters were able to relax and enjoy something of a second half stroll, with Sam Adams' late penalty eventually giving the scoreline a more realistic look. The scenes of celebration after the final whistle may have been rather less exuberant than those witnessed at Tooting & Mitcham a year ago, but just as they could after their play-off final victory, United can once again look forward to life as a Premier Division club next season, having ultimately finished this campaign in a highly creditable fourteenth place.

The ability to name a largely consistent line-up has no doubt been of considerable help to Tony over the last couple of months, with United having suffered very few injuries to key players, and only the scourge of the one match suspension having remotely interfered with team selection of late. Lee Worgan was the latest to miss out in such a way, banned after his sending off at Carshalton a fortnight ago, allowing Jani Seitsonen to make his Ryman League debut for the Club, but United were otherwise unchanged from the squad that had been unlucky to lose at home to Ramsgate last week. Leyton were the very epitome of a club in turmoil, at least since the end of November, when they had lost their financial backing and had been forced to almost completely overhaul their playing squad. Since beating United 1-0 at the Pilot Field, and following that result with a goalless draw at Heybridge, the Lilywhites had collected just a single point from twenty-four games and had become hopelessly detached at the foot of the table, with rumours continually circulating about an imminent resignation from the Ryman league. Only skipper Des Thomas remained from the starting eleven in the reverse fixture, when United were themselves in the early stages of the dismal run that would force them into a relegation battle, while fellow midfielder John Bricknell was a non-playing substitute that day. The experienced Victor Renner led the line for the home side, playing as a lone striker, while Leyton would also look to exploit the pace of young right winger Ayrton Coley, as well as the long throw prowess of right back Marvin McCoy.

Those long throws were the cause of some early concern to United's defence, as Leyton enjoyed a decent start to the contest, although the home side appeared otherwise toothless in attack, allowing Jani to enjoy a fairly restful afternoon. A typically unhelpful end of season playing surface actually gave the impression of being a more dangerous opponent to United than the Leyton side, and with passes going frequently astray, and crosses slicing out of play thanks to the bobbly pitch, United initially struggled to make any headway as an attacking force themselves. The pace of the home defenders was also proving an effective weapon, as United briefly resorted to a longer ball game in an effort to combat the conditions, and but for a couple of half chances, Ade Olorunda and Sam were being kept reasonably quiet, with Ade curling a twenty yard shot straight into Sam Tanner's arms, and Sam volleying over from a Russell Eldridge free kick. Ultimately, it was from a set piece that United took the lead in the twenty-third minute, Ade fouled near the corner flag by Gbenga Sonuga, allowing Lee to send over a deep cross that Nathan met with a towering header for his first league goal of the season, Tanner only able to help the ball on its way into the roof of the net. Suddenly, a weight had been lifted from United's shoulders, and Sam fired only just wide after an excellent one-touch move involving Rhys Whyborne and Russell, while Russell himself found only the side netting at the near post after running clear onto Sam's through ball. Just past the half hour mark, Leyton had half-hearted penalty appeals waved away when Bricknell tumbled under challenge from Tim, while Nathan was then well placed to divert Coley's dangerous cross over his own bar. Renner finally managed to register Leyton's first shot of the game with a twenty yard effort that sailed high over the top, before United effectively ended the home side's resistance by doubling their lead with five minutes left in the half, Tim getting his head to another free kick from Lee, and glancing the ball high to Tanner's left, the keeper again only able to assist it on its way.

Safe in the knowledge that Boreham Wood were losing heavily, United kicked off the second half with their Premier Division status as good as secure, and the match almost took on the air of a training exercise, with United seeing a huge amount of possession, only to be denied some increasingly resolute Leyton defending. Steve Elliott had a goalbound effort blocked by Olawale Ojelabi, and Russell completely missed his kick from a Jimmy Elford cross. Sam headed over from Ade's well worked cross, before forcing Tanner into a smart save with a stinging left foot shot, Ade heading wide from Russell's ensuing corner. At the mid-point of the half, Jani was called upon to make a routine save from Bricknell's twenty-five yard free kick, but that was all that Leyton had to offer in the final reckoning, and United continued to create chances, Lee denied by Sonuga's fine block, and Ade twice missing the target after working openings for himself. With time running out, Steve played the ball down the right hand side for Sam to chase into the area, only for Sonuga to clip his heels as he threatened to break clear for a slightly innocuous penalty, which Sam duly converted for his seventh goal in six games, four of them from the penalty spot, making him United's top scorer for the season with sixteen goals. Tim went close to grabbing his second of the game in stoppage time, before the referee blew for time, sparing Leyton from any further punishment, and leaving United to reflect on a pleasingly comfortable finish to a campaign that had been anything but straightforward.

The facts will show that United finished the season five places above the relegation zone, but avoided the drop by only three points, although neither seemed particularly likely when Tony, and assistant Mike Rutherford, inherited an ailing squad from Nigel Kane back in January. And things looked grim indeed when United slumped to that abject defeat at East Thurrock in early March, but six wins in their last nine matches, including three in a row on their travels, saw them to safety. A case of 'job done' for Tony and Mike, who deserve a huge vote of thanks for their efforts, as do all the players of course, for never giving up, and for never ceasing to believe in themselves, however lost the cause must have looked from time to time. United survive to fight another day in the Ryman Premier, which will perhaps make the barren summer months just that little bit easier to bear for all of us. Enjoy the cricket if you can!

Match facts	Efforts on target	Efforts off target	Free kicks conceded	Corners won	Offsides against
Leyton	1	2	11	1	0
Hastings United	8	10	19	5	6

Leyton (4-5-1)							Hastings United (4-4-2)
1 Sam Tanner							1 Jani Seitsonen
2 Marvin McCoy							2 Jimmy Elford (c)
3 Junior Luke							3 Nathan Simpson
4 Gbenga Sonuga							4 Rhys Whyborne
5 Olawale Ojelabi							5 Nathan Russell
6 Andrew Thomas							6 Lee Carey
7 Ayrton Coley							7 Steve Elliott
8 John Bricknell							8 Tim Olorunda
9 Victor Renner							9 Ade Olorunda
10 Des Thomas (c)							10 Sam Adams
11 Jamie Edwards							11 Russell Eldridge
Substitutes
12 Siao Blackwood (for Edwards 61)							12 Danny Leach
14 Philip Phillipou							14 Frankie Sawyer (for Elliott 88)
15 Terry Bates (for Ojelabi 88)							15 Tony Dolby
16 Henderson Browne (for Coley 52)							16 Antonio Gonnella (for Eldridge 66)
17 Aaron Cox							17 Danny Spice (for Elford 81)

Attendance 195

Referee Mr R Hyde

Assistants Messrs G Bellingham & T Brooks