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Terrors too good as home hoodoo holds firm - 11/10/08

Tooting & Mitcham United won a league game at the Pilot Field for the first time this afternoon, collecting the three points they needed to climb into second place in the Premier Division table, and, at the same time, consigning United to a sixth successive home defeat, the last five of which have also seen United fail to score. The writing was on the wall as early as the second minute today, highly rated Michael Antonio heading the visitors in front, although their failure to make the most of a series of other presentable chances kept United in the game at the interval. Not for the first time this season, United emerged for the second half with a greater sense of purpose, but as usual, were unable to capitalise on their one decent spell of the match, with late goals from Andrew Howell and substitute Jamie Byatt, the latter a stunning, first time volley, giving the final scoreline a sadly justifiable look in the final reckoning.

A continuity in John Lambert's team selection had seen United pick up consecutive away wins at Horsham and Margate, on the back of a narrow defeat to league leaders Dover in their last home encounter, so there was little surprise to see an unchanged starting eleven take the field today, with Jethro Warren and Terry Payne once again charged with responsibility for all things left hand side, Ben White retaining his place in central midfield, and Scott Ramsay left on the bench, once Frankie Sawyer had been passed fit to play after a hamstring problem forced him out of the action in the first half at Margate last weekend. Tooting & Mitcham arrived on a three match winning run, two of which had seen them pick up impressive away victories at Wealdstone and Ramsgate, with former Hastings goalkeeper Dave King and midfielder Stuart Myall both featuring from the outset. Meanwhile, scouts from Reading, Millwall and Wycombe Wanderers were all in attendance to study the performance of one particular, unidentified Terrors player, who evidently didn't let himself down.

The story of the game followed a now depressingly familiar theme, with United outplayed for much of the opening period, but hanging on in there, only to fade away again later in the piece. Despite some strong performances on the road, confidence remains fragile at the Pilot Field, and the collective state of mind was dealt an early blow this afternoon, as lively left winger Craig Pitterson jinked his way past Andy Ballard and chipped a cross onto the head of the unmarked Antonio for a neat glancing finish past the stranded Greg Nessling with barely ninety seconds on the clock. The visitors looked sharp all over the park, United seemingly unable to cope with a 4-5-1 formation that allowed Pitterson and Antonio down the flanks to get forward at every opportunity, supported by wily skipper Allan McLeod in heart of the midfield, where Ben White and the overworked Sam Adams endured a tough time in trying to impose themselves on the contest. Both were involved though, when United created their first shooting chance of the match in the thirteenth minute, Adams' cross being headed clear as far as White just outside the area, but Joe Vines was well placed to block the resulting effort. The longer the half wore on, the more dangerous Tooting became, especially on the counter-attack, with Antonio's cross picking out Paul Vines for a great chance to double their advantage, which the Terrors' leading scorer placed over the bar. Minutes later, Howell intercepted a stray pass on the Tooting left and drilled in a low cross for Antonio to slide a shot against the outside of Nessling's left hand upright, while Howell was then back on defensive duty, blocking a White header inside the six yard box, following another pinpoint corner delivery by Adams. The final ten minutes before the interval saw the visitors probing relentlessly for a second goal though, and but for a questionable offside flag, Paul Vines would have supplied it after touching in Dean Hamlin's low cross from the right. A McLeod cross from the right then created all manner of confusion in the United six yard box, with Nessling staying rooted to his line and forcing the admirable Nathan Russell to effect an awkward clearance to keep Vines at bay, while the Tooting striker twice brought decent saves out of United's keeper before the break, as the beleaguered hosts fought hard to stay in the contest.

The tide seemed suddenly to have turned after the restart though, with Adams dragging a shot across goal and wide after a Ballard long throw had been only half-cleared, and Marc Whiteman at least testing King with a snap shot that bounced just in front of the giant keeper. King's long punt set up a chance for Pitterson, briefly switching flanks with Antonio, which he sliced wide of the near post on the volley, but on the whole, United looked the more likely scorers, Whiteman creating a chance for himself and racing clear of two defenders, only for Hamlin to impede his progress with a little tug of the shirt, subtle enough for it to go unpunished by the officials. White let fly from twenty-five yards and grazed the crossbar, Nessling was then quickly off his line to deny Antonio, who had raced clear onto McLeod's astute pass. Payne was unable to direct a half volley into the roof of the net after good work from Ballard down the right, while the United full back then crossed for Sawyer to head into the path of a newly introduced and unmarked Ramsay for the weakest of volleys that presented no problems for a keeper of King's calibre. The visitors then almost appeared to decide that they had had enough of toying with United and letting then believe an equaliser to be a realistic aim, and stepped back into cruise control for the rest of the game. Myall's trademark long throws may not travel quite as much distance as Ballard's, but one such delivery with eighteen minutes remaining, set up Tooting's decisive second goal, a partial clearance finding its way to Howell with his back to goal, but one neat turn and fine left foot shot later, the ball was resting in the corner of United's net with Nessling beaten at last. Sawyer's excellent low cross was expertly cut out by King, and Ballard headed across goal from another Adams corner, as United tried to respond, but their chance had long since gone, and it took an incredibly brave headed block by Warren to prevent substitute Jason Pinnock from adding to the Terrors' lead, while fellow replacement Ben Abbey then wasted a free header from McLeod's ensuing corner. The absolute killer third was soon supplied though, McLeod curling an exquisite cross to the left hand side of United's area for Byatt to crash an unstoppable volley just inside Nessling's near post for the goal of the game, with United going close to a late consolation when sub Jack Dixon, cheekily named man of the match by the sponsors, dragged a shot just wide after working space down the left.

Whiteman's stoppage time goal against Ashford on the opening day of the season, seven and a half hours of football ago at the Pilot Field, remains the only strike that home supporters have been able to cheer during the campaign to date. Players, officials and fans alike will be desperately hoping for an end to this dismal run when Billericay Town pay a visit to the anti-fortress on Tuesday evening.

Match facts	Efforts on target	Efforts off target	Free kicks conceded	Corners won	Offsides against
Hastings United	4	6	11	5	2
Tooting & Mitcham United	8	6	7	9	6

Hastings United (4-4-2)							Tooting & Mitcham United (4-5-1)
1 Greg Nessling							1 Dave King
2 Andy Ballard							2 Dean Hamlin
3 Jethro Warren							3 Colin Hartburn
4 Rhys Whyborne (c)							4 Aaron Goode
5 Nathan Russell							5 Joe Vines
6 Ben White							6 Andrew Howell
7 Antonio Gonnella							7 Allan McLeod (c)
8 Sam Adams							8 Stuart Myall
9 Marc Whiteman							9 Paul Vines
10 Frankie Sawyer							10 Michael Antonio
11 Terry Payne							11 Craig Pitterson
Substitutes
12 Scott Ramsay (for Whiteman 65)							12 Jon Henry-Hayden
14 Jack Franklin (for White 73)							14 Jamie Byatt (for Pitterson 59)
15 Ben Radley							15 Ben Abbey (for P Vines 77)
16 Jack Dixon (for Payne 73)							16 Jason Pinnock (for Myall 72)
GK Seb Barton							17 Stanley Muguo

Attendance 462

Referee Nigel Lugg (Chipstead)

Assistants Andrew Colwell (Eastbourne) & Mark Tasker (Lewes)