Ponswood Industrial Estate
Drury Lane
St Leonards on Sea
Telephone: 01424 446345
Sponsored by Metalworx
Ponswood Industrial Estate
Drury Lane
St Leonards on Sea
Telephone: 01424 446345
Rain jackets sponsored by
Foxdown Construction Ltd
Link House, Link Place
Upper Hollingdean Road
Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 7DX
Telephone: 01273 566556
Manager: Darrol Parris
Mobile: 07914 858825
Crowborough & District Junior Football League - Under 16s league table
Oakwood 5-1 Hastings United
13/12. After two previous attempts to play this Sussex Cup match were postponed due to the recent bad weather, United at last made their way to Oakwood in Crawley on this morning. This was a repeat of last season, when the U's visited Oakwood at the same stage in the competition, and triumphed in a penalty shoot-out, after a thrilling 3-3 draw, which saw them into the last thirty-two. This season though, the Colts bowed out to a very physical and well organised side, as Oakwood gained comprehensive revenge on the U's.
The starting line-up of Jack Everitt, Louis Hopper, Kieran Mayhew, Scott West, Ricky Rand, Eddie Randall, Myles Fitchett, Charlie Sellens, Danny Headech, Aaron Parris and Lee Paine got off to a reasonable start, coping well with the early pressure that Oakwood them under. However, with twenty minutes gone, the ball was played into the United area, Jack failed to react to the danger, and the Colts suddenly found themselves a goal down. United showed some good determination, and tried to play some flowing football, managing to create a couple of chances that came to nothing. Then, shortly before half time, Aaron Parris drilled a corner into the box, which was deflected past the Oakwood keeper, levelling the scores at the interval.
As the half time whistle was blown, it was evident that, although still in the contest, the Colts were going to have to up their game if they wanted to progress to the next round. Oakwood were putting in challenges with passion, one resulting in Scott receiving treatment to an injury to his ankle, something which very rarely happens to the strong defender. Oakwood seemed to want the game more than the Colts, they were first to every loose ball, and were dominating United in all areas of the pitch.
The second half got underway, and Oakwood laid siege to the U's area, with the Colts struggling to get into the home side's half. The inevitable occurred with just ten minutes of the second half gone, a failed clearance falling to an Oakwood player, and despite Charlie's attempt to block the shot, a deflection took the ball over Jack and into the back of the net.
The hard task in front of United was now harder still, and it didn't help matters when Scott was challenged very late, and took another bad hit on his ankle, and had to admit defeat when he was substituted shortly after. The Oakwood player responsible was booked, however the referee should have cautioned a few others beforehand, but seemed reluctant to do so. What happened next was rather comical, considering the amount of times he had spoken to individual Oakwood players. As Scott came off the pitch, Aaron Lewis went on to replace him, but without the referee's consent, the official then threatening to caution him for doing so, at which point it was pointed out to him that he had let several bad fouls by Oakwood players go unpunished, yet here he was prepared to book a player for something much more trivial.
With Scott going off, Darrol was forced to change the side around drastically, and perhaps it was this that caused the Colts to lose their way, as they were soon 3-1 down. United continued to battle, but they were being outplayed in truth, and were no match for the physical ability of the home side. Before the final whistle went, United conceded another two goals, and Darrol was gracious in defeat, freely admitting that the U's had lost to a better side. It was the first time that the Colts had been given such a lesson this season, and the first time they had come up against such a battling team, as normally it is they who are the physical side. Hopefully, the Colts will learn from the experience, and add things to their own game. They have a long time to dwell upon the defeat, not being back in league action until January 10th, when they are due to play Wealden Colts at home.
Maresfield Village 1-4 Hastings United
22/11. Not even a torrential downpour could stop the Colts this weekend, as they knocked the League Cup holders out of this season's competition at the quarter final stage. The Colts travelled to Maresfield to pay their hosts back for last season's cup final defeat, in which United narrowly missed out on a second consecutive piece of cup silverware.
Darrol had decided on his line-up well in advance of the game. Having played Maresfield in the league only a few weeks ago, and just edging that match, it gave Darrol the opportunity to look at the way the Colts opponents played. He opted for Matt Dann in goal, Eddie Randall, Kieran Mayhew, Scott West and Louis Hopper in defence, JJ Beaumont, Charlie Sellens, Danny Headech and Ricky Rand in midfield, with Aaron Parris and Lee Paine in attack. Myles Fitchett and Josh Ensell were named as substitutes.
As the game got underway, United found themselves kicking with the wind, which could be best described as a gale, rather than a stiff breeze. It was a piece of luck, from which the Colts would benefit almost immediately, as with just three minutes on the clock, Aaron flicked on a header to the edge of the Maresfield area, for Lee to turn instinctively and fire a left foot shot into the far corner of the Maresfield goal. It was a great start for the U's, and from that moment, they took control of the game, making every pass count, and carving out chance after chance.
The United supporters, who had braved the conditions, hoped that the Colts would not regret wasted opportunities at the end of the ninety minutes, as surely defending such a strong wind in the second half would prove a handful against any side, let alone against last season's league and cup double winners.
With the conditions being so severe, it was no surprise that Maresfield were finding it hard to get into the Colts' half, however they occasionally played their way through, but their chances were being limited by some strong defending, Matt was hardly troubled at all in goal, although he played his part with some good communication to his defence, helping them deal comfortably with any threat from the home attack. The Colts were enjoying the majority of the play, Eddie and Louis were forcing Maresfield wide midfield players to defend deep, as they offered support to Ricky and JJ when the ball got down the channels. Danny and Charlie were bossing the centre of midfield, but at times, were both drawn over to the same side of the pitch as Maresfield attacked. Thankfully, they were unable to make use of the spare player and failed to punish United. With such good link-up play all over the pitch from United, they soon doubled their lead, when once again, Aaron and Lee linked up for Lee to fire past the helpless keeper. At last, the Colts had made their possession count, and Maresfield were struggling to cope with the U's superb performance. The conditions were worsening, and to add to the wind, it had now started raining, although United continued to play convincingly, and shortly before half time, Scott skipped superbly past two challenges and played a fine pass to Ricky, whose shot was spilled by the keeper, and Danny followed up to knock the ball in from close range, giving United a three goal advantage.
The referee blew the whistle and the U's went into the break well in front, but knowing that they had to defend against a strong wind and torrential rain in the second period. During the break, Darrol told his side how pleased he was with their effort so far, but pointed out that they would probably face a barrage of attack from Maresfield during the second half, similar to that they had inflicted on their opponents to date. He encouraged his side not to defend to deep, as this would invite pressure, and he also told them not to play about when clearing the ball out of defence. Hopefully, the three goal cushion would be enough to see United into the semi finals, but everyone concerned knew that the Colts would have to dig deep during the second half.
United took the restart, and began knocking the ball around confidently, as the rain fell even harder, and the wind started to swirl, instead of blowing directly into the United half. With five minutes of the half gone, United achieved something that Maresfield hadn't in the first half, Scott once again picking up the ball and, with a pass of around forty yards, put Aaron through on goal. As the ball bounced into the area, Aaron poked it past the oncoming keeper, and extended the U's lead still further.
That goal was probably enough to see the Colts into the semi finals, however they could not afford to relax. They had scored three goals in the first half, and Maresfield were certainly capable of matching, if not beating, that feat. However, the Colts, despite playing very well, were looking as if they could be easily beaten by something beyond their control, as the weather yet again turned for the worse, most of the spectators quite wisely huddling around the doorway of the clubhouse, leaving only a brave (or maybe foolish) few to battle the elements!
Darrol had told both of his substitutes to stay in the changing room for the second half, but to keep an eye on the game in case they were needed, something that they must have been thankful for, as the weather was not fit for man or beast. The pitch was by now starting to become waterlogged in places, and the talk along the sidelines was of whether or not the referee would abandon the match, causing United to have to do all the hard work again.
With an hour gone, Maresfield grabbed a goal back, when the United defence failed to clear the ball effectively, something Darrol had warned his side against, although to be fair, the ground was now becoming heavy in places, and it was proving hard to kick the ball at times.
But despite the setback, United once again dug in and stood strong. With the game closing out, and the Colts edging nearer and nearer to victory, Darrol went to see if either of the substitutes wanted to go on. Both quite sensibly declined the offer, and United just had to hope that the referee did not abandon the game. As it was, he carried on, and with United not really being troubled, apart from a free kick glancing against the bar, they played their way through to another semi final, their fourth in as many seasons.
Darrol was very pleased with his side's performance, each and every one of the players had performed well, and he thought that the back five of Matt, Louis, Scott, Kieran and Eddie had played their best football of the season. He also paid tribute to Myles and Josh, who despite not getting on, got soaked through on the sidelines supporting their teammates. Darrol also appreciated the support from the parents and supporters, who braved the elements, and a special vote of thanks must go to George, for running the line in dire conditions, in which he too got soaked from head to toe. Next week, the Colts are back in cup action once again, this time welcoming Oakwood to Sandhurst in the Sussex Cup, weather permitting of course.
Crowborough Athletic 4-2 Hastings United
15/11. United made the trip to Crowborough today for the return match against the side that they had beaten in their opening league fixture. It was a surprise to come up against the same opponents for the second time in so few weeks, however there seems to be a large number of teams playing County Cup games this season, which may well account for the closeness of the fixtures. It seemed that, even before the team had set off, it was going to be a frustrating day for everyone involved with the Colts, as some players telephoned to drop out at last the minute, and others were running late, which caused a number of problems.
When the team finally took to the field, Darrol could only name a squad of twelve players, including keeper Matt Dann, who was suffering from illness. The rest of the line-up was Myles Fitchett, Scott West, Kieran Mayhew, Louis Hopper, Eddie Randall, Aaron Lewis, Danny Headech, Ricky Rand, Lee Paine and Aaron Parris. The lone substitute that Darrol had available was JJ Beaumont. The game was played on a pitch, which could be argued as being far too small to be suitable for under 16s football. It was barely big enough for under 13s, let alone for players who can move on to adult football next season. Nevertheless, United had to play the match, and from the outset, they did not look in the game at all, which was ultimately to prove their downfall, as countless wasted opportunities, and a lack of awareness, saw United lose their first fixture on the pitch this season, their only other defeat resulting from their inability to raise a side due to injury and other commitments, which saw them concede the three points to Holland Sports on the opening day of the season.
It was a lacklustre game throughout, with the Colts finding themselves 3-0 down at one point. The first goal arrived when United were guilty of a combination of not dealing with the ball in midfield, and Matt not reacting quickly enough to the resulting situation. The second was a consequence of the players wearing the wrong boots in wet conditions, causing a slip, and leaving a home striker with just Matt to beat. The third was due to a lack of awareness from the Colts, after a United player had called for the ball and missed it, none of his teammates concentrating, or covering for any potential mistake, and just standing and watching instead, as the striker was once again left with just Matt to beat.
The Colts managed to grab a lifeline, just before half time, when Lee Paine followed up a shot from Aaron Parris, which the Crowborough keeper was unable to hold. It looked like United may yet get something out of the match during the second half, as they dominated completely, resulting in the home side managing to break into the Hastings half on precious few occasions. However, no matter how they tried, the Colts could not find a way through a tightly packed defence, their cause not helped by the size of the pitch of course. Eventually, United got another goal, as Eddie attempted a cross shot, which Aaron Parris managed to divert past the keeper. Maybe the Colts could battle out for a draw, if they could once more manage to get past the Crowborough keeper, who was having a fine game. But then, United were suddenly dealt a hammer blow, when they conceded a controversial fourth goal. Having put the ball out of play, so that one of their players could receive treatment, Darrol went on to the pitch make sure the player was ok. With Darrol still on the field of play, the referee allowed Crowborough to take the throw, and they sportingly played the ball back to Matt in goal. He rolled the ball to Myles, who played a poor pass inside to one of his teammates, which was intercepted by a Crowborough player, who scored to make it 4-2, all while Darrol was still on the pitch, so the game should have been stopped, and the throw retaken.
That should in no way excuse United for conceding such a soft goal, another example of their generally sloppy play on the day, and as the final whistle blew, United knew that they had lost to a more motivated team, who simply looked like they wanted the win more than the U's. Reflecting on the experience, Darrol said that he felt let down by the players who failed to show up for the game, but also the lack of passion shown by most of those who were present, the apparent lack of fitness from some members of the team, the lack of confidence, and the poor finishing, which undoubtedly cost them the game, and for the sloppy play that was just so unlike United. Hopefully, the U's can get the result out of their system quickly, as they take on Maresfield in the quarter finals of the League Cup next weekend.
Hastings United 6-3 Ashurst Wood
8/11. Despite constant overnight rain, United's league fixture against Ashurst Wood surprisingly went ahead this afternoon at Sandhurst. Darrol, with the exception of Jack and Ricky, who weren't available for personal reasons, had a complete squad to choose from. New signing Aaron Bowen's registration had finally come through, and he was due to start as a substitute. However, during the warm-up, Aaron suffered a painful knee, which resulted in him having to withdraw prior to kick off. So, Darrol named a starting line-up of Matt Dann in goal, Louis Hopper, Kieran Mayhew, Scott West and Myles Fitchett in defence, Sam Cherry, Josh Ensell, Charlie Sellens and JJ Beaumont in midfield, with Aaron Parris and Lee Paine up front. The substitutes were Danny Headech, Eddie Randall and Aaron Lewis.
The pitch had already been played on in the morning, and one half was considerably better than the other, with United finding themselves defending the less than perfect end first. This was going to prove a major task in itself, as the pitch was certainly not going to improve as the match progressed. Ashurst Wood, despite being promoted last season, had made a good start to the season, beating last year's league and cup winners Maresfield, so they couldn't be taken lightly. The Colts got off to a good positive start, with Aaron forcing the keeper to pull off a very good reaction save to deny Hastings the lead. Shortly afterwards, Lee was thwarted by the keeper once again, and however much they tried, United couldn't find a way through. Then, as if it was scripted, confusion between Kieran and Louis allowed an Ashurst striker to run through on goal and give his side a one goal lead.
Although Ashurst had managed to venture into United's half, the goal came against the run of play, and this was yet another game in which the Colts had failed to make the most of their early initiative. As they had done all season though, United didn't let the goal get to them, and pushed forward looking for an equaliser, JJ producing a fine run, but watching in despair as his shot edged past the far post. Hastings were well on top, and Ashurst were fortunate not to be three or four goals behind, but once again, some awful defending from a corner then saw United pay a costly price, as Ashurst suddenly doubled their lead.
United again came back at Ashurst with all guns blazing, and within a few minutes, following a fine passage of play, they were back in the game, as Myles crossed a superb ball in to the area and picked out Lee, who headed the ball past the keeper. United had been rewarded at last for their hard work, but there was still more to do, if they were to get anything out of this match, and as the half that they were defending was cutting up through the middle, they had to make an impact sooner rather than later. The Colts had now begun to dominate the game in every quarter, and once again, Myles provided the perfect cross for Aaron, the prolific striker controlling the ball as it came to him and forcing a save from the keeper, although he couldn't hold the shot, and as the ball spilled free, Aaron made sure at the second attempt to equalise.
At last, Hastings were finding the back of the net. However, they weren't to be on level times for too long, as once again, desperate defending, and United being guilty of not picking up the second ball, saw Ashurst retake the lead. It was so frustrating for everyone who was watching, but still, for some reason, Hastings never looked like they were going to lose this match. They were playing some good football in places, and following a great period of play, Sam lobbed the keeper from the edge of the area to level the scores at 3-3 just before the break.
During the second half, United were facing the daunting prospect of attacking a wet and sodden pitch, so it was obviously going to take a mammoth effort from the boys. Darrol made it quite clearly known that he wasn't happy, the boys had created ample opportunities, but due to slack defending, they were only on level terms. He told the midfield quartet that they needed to get back and support the defence, and also encouraged the two full backs to get around when the play was shifting wide. He also pointed out that the ball was going to stick in the mud through the middle of the pitch, and that any play had to be wide, urging Sam and JJ to stay on their flanks, so they could make use of the better conditions in the channels.
As the second half got underway, the back four had a much better look about them. Myles and Louis were linking up well with Sam and JJ respectively, and the Colts were starting to stretch the Ashurst defence, creating chance after chance for the strike partnership of Aaron and Lee. Darrol now decided that it was time to change the formation, and JJ made way for Aaron Lewis, and Danny replaced Lee. With all the pressure United were putting on Ashurst, not surprisingly, it wasn't long before they made their dominance count. Aaron Parris sent in a corner, which Scott headed powerfully goalwards, the keeper once again struggling to hold onto the venomous header, which fell kindly for Danny to fire the ball over the line, at last giving United a slender lead.
With that fourth goal, Hastings were now gaining more and more confidence. Scott was picking up the ball and making some surging runs into the Ashurst half, spraying the ball wide into both channels. There didn't seem to be a way back for their opponents now, and they started to get frustrated, lashing out with a few rash challenges. There were definitely more goals in this for Hastings, and when Scott fired in a shot, the keeper again failed to hold onto the ball, and Aaron picked up the scraps to extended Hastings' lead.
By now, Ashurst were looking tired, and were paying the price for not making better use of the conditions out wide during the first half. The final nail in their coffin came when Charlie passed a ball into Aaron Parris, he heard a call from Aaron Lewis, and sold the Ashurst defender a dummy to leave his namesake to grab United's sixth goal. The rest of the game played out with Hastings in control, the final whistle seeing the Colts return to the top of the table on goal difference, with a game in hand on their nearest rivals. A great start to the league for the boys then, however they could do with adopting an approach of starting games in the same manner in which they finish them, and to stop conceding silly goals in the early stages of matches, something for Darrol to work on during training.
Hailsham United 1-2 Hastings United (aet)
25/10. Cup action was the order of the day for the Colts this morning, Hastings looking to reach their fourth consecutive cup final, and drawn away to Hailsham. Despite their opponents being from the league below United, they, like the Colts, had got off to a good start to the season, lying second in the table, and were coming into the match on the back of a 16-0 win a week ago. This certainly looked like a potential banana skin for Hastings then. With a substantial number of players out through illness, family commitments and half term holidays, Darrol was forced to choose from a somewhat weakened squad, with both goalkeepers being named as outfield substitutes. Things were down to bare bones for Hastings, but nevertheless, they took to the field with Sam Cherry in goal, Myles Fitchett, Ricky Rand, Kieran Mayhew and Louis Hopper in defence, JJ Beaumont, Charlie Sellens, Aaron Lewis and Josh Ensell in midfield, and Danny Headech and Aaron Parris completed the line-up as strikers. Jack Everitt and Matt Dann were named as substitutes.
As the game got underway, it was obvious that the strong wind was going to play a huge part in the match, yet despite enjoying its benefit in the first half, Hailsham found it hard to read its severity, and each time they tried to build an attack from their keeper, it fell comfortably for either Ricky or Kieran to head clear. This game was quickly becoming a dire affair, with neither team able to string any passes together at all. It seemed as if Hastings, who normally play good passing football, were being drawn into a kick and rush affair, totally unlike the way that they had started the season. The closest Hailsham came to scoring in the early encounters saw a goalline clearance by Myles, as he headed over the bar for a corner. On the rare occasion that Hastings did manage to get the ball into a good position, they would waste the chance by shooting from outside the area into a howling wind, which slowed the shot and failed to bother the Hailsham keeper.
Being understrength, Darrol was forced to make a substitution, when Aaron Lewis limped off after hurting his knee, being replaced by Matt. Hailsham looked a poor side, however the Colts were looking poor as well, and as a lacklustre half drew to a close, Sam was told to stop the play by the referee, so that a Hailsham player could receive some treatment. After the player had been treated, the referee surprisingly told Sam to carry on the play from his hands, instead of a drop ball, so he threw the ball towards the midfield, only for Hastings to lose the ball cheaply. Hailsham passed the ball into their striker, and unopposed, he tapped the ball in from close range to give his side a shock lead. The goal was probably one of the softest goals that the Colts have conceded, and given the way that they had been playing, it was hard to see how they would come by an equaliser.
The half time whistle went, and manager Darrol wasn't happy. It was the worst performance that Hastings had produced for some years. Their normal game had gone out of the window, and he instructed his side to get the ball down and play. Despite the pitch being on a slight hill, with a sideways slant, the surface was reasonable enough, but for some incomprehensible reason, none of the Hastings players seemed to be able to pass the ball. With Aaron's knee now feeling better following a rest, Darrol decided to make a change and put him in goal, with a view to Sam going back on after ten minutes.
The restart saw Hastings dominating the game, but still lacking in ideas of what to do once in the final third of the pitch. Then came the breakthrough that Hastings were looking for. Following a throw, Matt was picked out on the edge of the Hailsham six yard box, and unselfishly passed the ball to Aaron Parris, who poked the ball home from close range to level the score. Darrol was hoping that the goal would at last kick start the Colts' game, and that they would push on to take control of the tie, so he decided to put Sam on up front to replace Matt, and to add that bit of extra pace to get another goal.
It wasn't to be though, although the Hailsham linesman played his part in keeping his side in the game, when on numerous occasions, he would raise his flag for offside against Hastings players, when they were clearly either level or behind play. It was very disappointing to see a team have to rely on what was blatant cheating, however to the Hastings players' credit, they kept their protests to a minimum and got on with the game.
The contest was failing to produce many clearcut chances from either side, but Hastings were shading the play, as Hailsham struggled to get into the Colts' half for long periods, Hastings were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty, when a Hailsham defender upended JJ from behind, flattening the nippy midfielder in the process, but the referee oddly waved play on. The final whistle went, and both sets of supporters prepared to endure another twenty minutes of frustrating football.
Extra time saw the Colts kicking with the wind for the first half, and once again, Hailsham struggled to get into the Hastings half. The Colts were applying more and more pressure on Hailsham, but still lacked the cutting edge to grab a goal. Then, with a few minutes of the first half of extra time remaining, Charlie picked up the ball in midfield, and made a piercing run into the Hailsham area. Clean through on goal, he was pulled down by the onrushing keeper, and this time, the referee had no choice but to award a spot kick, and the keeper was lucky to stay on the pitch, as Charlie had clearly been denied a goalscoring opportunity. Aaron Parris stepped up to take the penalty, and commented to the referee that the ball was in a "dip", and that he wouldn't have a fair kick of the ball. However, the referee ignored his plea, and insisted that he couldn't move the ball. The pressure was on Aaron to put Hastings into the lead, and he struck the ball superbly, however it was at a comfortable height for the keeper, who made a superb save, with a Hailsham defender launching the ball out for the very first corner of the game.
Hailsham were ecstatic, but their joy was short lived. Aaron stubbed his foot as he took the ensuing corner, which still picked out Danny, whose mishit shot fell for Kieran to stab the ball home, and give Hastings the lead. With the second half of extra time underway, Hastings found themselves against the wind, but Hailsham looked a tired side, and although they managed to put a couple of half chances together, they seldom threatened the Colts' goal. The final whistle seemed to come very quickly, and brought to an end a truly dire game. Hailsham could think themselves lucky that they finished the game with eleven players, after some very late and rash challenges, Hastings were through despite a poor performance, but as the saying goes, a sign of a good side is that, when they play badly, they still grind out a win, and Hastings were certainly proof of that today.
Next week, the Colts were due to play in the Sussex County Cup, however they have now received a bye into the next round, following the withdrawal of their prospective opponents, Chailey & Newick Colts.
Maresfield Village 3-4 Hastings United
11/10. With both keepers injured, the Colts had to make the trip to second placed Maresfield without a recognised number one today. Manager Darrol Parris had only twelve players available for what was potentially to be his side's toughest game all season. Maresfield won the league title last season, and narrowly defeated the Colts in the cup final too, although United had deservedly beaten their opponents 2-1 in their last league meeting. Darrol named a starting line-up of Lee in goal, Myles Fitchett, Kieran Mayhew, Scott West and Louis Hopper in defence, Sam Cherry, Ricky Rand, Charlie Sellens and JJ Beaumont in midfield, with Aaron Parris and Danny Headech up front, and Josh Ensell on the bench.
The game got underway with the Colts dominating for long periods, and forcing a few corners, but it looked like it was going to be one of those days where nothing would go into the net. In football, you can dominate for the full eighty minutes, but unless you score, it all counts for nothing of course. Maresfield looked a lesser team than they were last season, probably due to them losing a couple of key players in the close season, which seemed to have a huge effect on the way that they played football. Last season, they played good flowing football, which always brought out an evenly matched game against the Colts. However, it now seemed that they had resorted to long ball tactics, lumping the ball up front to a big centre forward whenever possible, but as a consequence, and the fact that Maresfield were playing with three strikers, the U's defence struggled to cope with some of the pressure they were under at times. And with twenty minutes on the clock, and with Hastings still enjoying the better of the play, the long ball worked for Maresfield, when they took the lead after some negligent defending.
The goal was against the run of play, but United could only blame themselves for not being in front, as they had created the chances, but looked like they were lacking the conviction to score. Myles, although being a left sided player, was coping well at right back, helping out the midfield when they attacked, and Maresfield didn't know whether they were coming or going at times. On the opposite flank, Louis crossed a ball into the area, and yet another chance went begging, as every player in the eighteen yard box watched the ball go unchallenged across the face of goal. Shortly before half time, United went further behind, when Lee and Kieran both went to close down a Maresfield striker, only for him to poke the ball goalwards into the path of another striker, who was standing in an offside position, but cleverly let the ball roll untouched into the empty net for a two goal lead.
As the half time whistle blew, it looked like it may be a mountain to climb for United, but all was not lost, as they were still creating chances, and there was still another forty minutes to play. Darrol gave his opinion on a few things, and told the boys that he would leave things as they were for ten minutes, but that he would then make a change. From the restart, United got at Maresfield, but they still lacked the goal that would bring them back into the match. True to his word, with ten minutes gone, Darrol made the change, taking off JJ, and having a major overhaul with the side, Danny dropping into midfield alongside Charlie, Sam going up front, Ricky shifting to the left side of midfield, and Josh joining the fray on the right hand side. For the second week running, Darrol's substitution proved to be inspired, as Ricky got the better of his full back, instantly getting wide and stretching the Maresfield defence with ease, then finding himself on the edge of the penalty area, when he picked up a pass, and giving the keeper no chance as he stroked the ball inside the far post to halve the deficit. United were back in the game, and their hard work had at last paid off, and just a few minutes later, still enjoying the better of the play, Ricky once again crossed the ball to the far post, where Josh smashed the ball home with his very first touch to suddenly level the score.
Could it be that, having come back from 4-1 down to win last weekend, the Colts would once again grab an unlikely win? There was certainly enough time to do so, and it was up to them to once again show the character and belief to repeat the trick. Maresfield must have had a bit of a shake-up after the equaliser, because they suddenly put a range of passes together, which for the first time in the half, stretched the Hastings defence, who had thus far found the formula easy enough to cope with, and had limited Maresfield to the odd half chance, not overly troubling Lee in goal. After a brief spell of possession though, Maresfield grabbed a well taken goal from the edge of the area to retake the lead, despite Lee's best efforts to keep the shot out. Once again, the Colts had fallen behind, and now they really had to dig deep, as there was still time for the match to go either way. Darrol contemplated changing the formation once again, to push Scott into midfield, but his hand was then forced, when Louis was forced to come off due to injury. Thankfully, league rules state that a player who has been substituted can then become a substitute himself, and return to the field of play once more, which meant that JJ could come back on. He went into midfield and Ricky dropped in to cover Louis.
The Colts pushed on in search of an equaliser. Ricky and JJ were linking up well, and Hastings then got a spot of luck of their own, Ricky crossing the ball into the box, the keeper looking to have it covered easily, when the ball somehow slipped through his fingers and dropped into the net. Once again, the Colts were back in the match.
Darrol decided against switching to a three man defence at that point, and was quite content to settle for a point, although his side had other ideas as usual, and with ten minutes to go, Aaron slammed the ball home to give United the lead for the first time in the match. The instruction went out for the defence to keep things tight, and to make no mistakes. Maresfield were now frustrated, and they started getting dirty, and diving into tackles dangerously. With five minutes left, Sam rode one such tackle, only for a Maresfield player to then punch him, Sam retaliating in kind, giving the referee no option but to dismiss both players. Maresfield were incensed with the referee's action, and they were lucky not to go down to nine players, when one of their midfielders deliberately stamped on Charlie after the ball had gone. Charlie was furious, and he had every right to be, judging by the stud marks around his rib cage. It was something you would expect in rugby, not football, but it was the Colts who had the last laugh, when the final whistle went. The boys had shown great determination, and Darrol was very pleased with the way they had battled to come from behind and grab all three points yet again.
At the end of the match, some ugly scenes developed, when the Maresfield coach, and the parent of the player who was sent off, came onto the pitch to confront the referee. It was a very disappointing display from those concerned, because up to that point, the game had been played in a relatively good spirit, and without much provocation from either side. It was a real shame, as the referee, despite being only seventeen years old, had handled himself very well on the whole, and made very few mistakes throughout the match.
Hastings United 6-4 Hastings Gunners
4/10. The eagerly awaited derby between the Colts and Hastings Gunners was to prove a classic on Sunday afternoon at Sandrock. With the only absentees being goalkeeper Matt Dann, who, having broke his finger whilst playing for William Parker in midweek, was unable to play, and Aaron Lewis was away on holiday, The Colts had a strong squad to choose from, but as it was, manager Darrol opted to leave the team unchanged from the previous week, when they had brushed Crowborough aside so easily, and no one could blame him. The performance in that match was enjoyable to watch. This was always going to be a hard match for the Colts, having quite convincingly beaten the Gunners in the lower level Rother League a couple of seasons ago, the Gunners had their pride at stake, and were out for payback.
Both sides started the match cagily, but it was the Gunners who broke the deadlock after eight minutes, when United's defence were guilty of not clearing the ball around their penalty area, and paid the price, as the Gunners took the lead. Despite going behind in the early stages, the Colts came straight back at their opponents, winning a free kick just on the edge of the area, Aaron stepping up and his dead ball strike forced the keeper to parry it directly into the path of Lee Paine, who stabbed the home from close range to equalise. Everyone could see that United deserved their goal, and what it meant to them. They continued to apply pressure, and the defence of Eddie, Ricky, Kieran and Louis were coping well with everything that was being thrown at them. Danny went agonisingly close to giving the Colts the lead, when his fine run from midfield provided him with a chance to shoot, his attempt going just over the bar, but then, against the run of play, the Gunners were awarded a dubious free kick, when an attempted shot hit one of United's players on the hand on the edge of the area. The well placed free kick found its way in at the far post, and United were behind once again.
It was a cruel blow to the Colts, who were bossing the game, but it seemed that the referee was bowing to every call that was made from the sidelines. Nevertheless, United were creating chances, and JJ, Charlie, Danny and Sam were putting Aaron and Lee into good scoring positions, and if it hadn't have been for three or four very good saves from the Gunners' keeper, United could well have been four goals to the good. Shortly before half time though, United's morale was dealt another blow, when Jack dropped the ball as he went to clear it, and without a second thought picked it up, although it was clear to see that he was outside the area, and the referee quite rightly awarded a free kick. The result was exactly the same as the previous free kick, as no one could do anything to stop the Gunners extending their lead to 3-1.
The half time whistle went, and the Colts, although behind, didn't really deserved to be so. They had gifted the Gunners two goals, and had failed to clear their lines for the other, apart from which the visitors hadn't created many clearcut chances, and it was United who had put on the better footballing performance, although just playing nice football doesn't guarantee you a win of course. It's goals that count, and Darrol told his charges that, if they carried on playing like they were, they would get them. During the break, the Gunners supporters could be quite easily heard taunting United, but maybe they had got a bit too confident in their position, as it was only half time after all, and if the Gunners could score three goals in a half, then the Colts were capable of doing so too.
As the second half got underway, United set about reducing the deficit, but then following an attack, United's midfield were guilty of committing to many players forward, and not getting back in time to prevent the Gunners extending their lead still further. It was a terrible blow to United, and if they were to get anything from the game now, it was going to take an immense effort from all of the players, but that is exactly what they did.
Darrol decided to make two substitutions in the defence, Louis was struggling with a painful knee, so Myles replaced him at left back, whilst Ricky made way for Scott. Now being three goals down, United lifted their game, there were no half challenges being made from anyone, as they stepped up the pace, and they were soon rewarded, when Lee got the ball in the left channel and crossed into the area, picking out the tireless Sam. At first, the linesman flagged for offside, but quickly and fairly took it down again, as he spotted a Gunners defender playing Sam onside, and Sam made no mistake by slotting the ball home to make it 4-2.
There was still a lot of work to do just to get a point from the game, but shortly afterwards, United pulled another goal back when JJ put Aaron into a shooting opportunity, Aaron kept his cool and fired the ball into the back of the Gunners' net to make it 4-3. Could a revival be on the cards after being 4-1 down? Had the Gunners' taunting of the Colts been a bit early in the day? Had they underestimated United`s ability?
United weren't about to allow the Gunners to win the match easily, and when Scott picked out Aaron outside the area, he flicked it on to Lee, whose shot was well saved by the keeper. As all good strikers do, Aaron followed up the shot, and dealt the Gunners a blow by levelling the score at 4-4. Suddenly, a hush fell over the Gunners' supporters, and it was the United supporters who could be heard making the noise. The Colts had deserved to get back into the game, as they were simply playing the better football by far, leaving the Gunners to resort to long balls upfield, which were being dealt with confidently by United's defence.
Darrol was more than willing to settle for a point, after being 4-1 down, but his team seemed to have other ideas. United were in control, and despite most of the players on the pitch being schoolmates, there was no friendship out there, with some good solid tackles going in from both sides, yet things never looked like getting out of hand at all, as if every player respected what it meant to both sides to win the match. The midfield quartet continued to boss the game, with just one Gunners player seemingly running endlessly trying to contain United, but with ten minutes left, and having been under the cosh for a long time, Danny picked out Aaron, who once again quietened the Gunners' supporters, and elated the United crowd, as he completed his hattrick to put United in front at 5-4.
Both sets of supporters were witnessing one of the best youth football matches, and comebacks, for a long while. United now played sensibly, and kept the back four in a non-attacking pattern, ensuring that no silly mistakes would let the Gunners off the hook. But once again, it was United who were to have, not just the last laugh, but the sixth laugh of the afternoon, when Charlie, following a superb run into the Gunners' area, laid the ball in to Aaron, who duly grabbed his fourth goal of the game.
The final whistle went, and United were ecstatic. The Gunners had played well in patches, but in all honesty, United seemed to want it more. Maybe the Gunners would do well to learn that taunting their opponents at half time isn't really a good thing to do, as it was they who were left with egg on their faces, and the Colts having the last laugh. Each player had dug in deep when they needed to, and gave that extra bit of determination when it was needed. They had the never-say-die attitude, which all good teams have. A tremendous fight back, against the odds, and a really great game to watch. A special mention must go to Aaron Parris, who, during the match, managed to take his goal tally for Hastings United to over 100 goals. Well done Aaron!
Hastings United 8-1 Crowborough Athletic
27/9. At last, after a long competitive lay-off, it's that time of year when football once again becomes the priority to so many players and parents on a Sunday morning. The Colts had a rather disappointing pre-season, only managing to win one friendly and losing three, although having said that, two of those were against older opponents. Last season's manager Paul Butchard has had to step down due to work commitments, and in turn, his son Paul Junior has opted to take a rest as well, and everyone in the team wishes them well, and thanks them for so many years of hard work and dedication. So, to this year's campaign, and the Colts were forced to postpone the season opener away to newcomers Holland Sports, due to no less than eight players being injured, and having family commitments, and another three being ineligible to play, due to not being registered in time.
For the Colts' opponents, Crowborough Athletic, this was their third game, so they had already had the luxury of getting some match practise under their belts, and, from the first whistle, the Colts looked slightly rusty, which was half expected to be fair. Despite that, it was a good twenty minutes before either side made a breakthrough. The Crows' goalkeeper punted a long ball upfield, which was met by centre back Ricky, who misread the flight of the ball, and couldn't get a clean head to it, the ball going backwards, and Jack in goal was guilty of ball watching, and failed to come out and clear, which left the Crows' striker through on goal.
It was a wake-up call for United, only having dropped two points out of a possible nine to Crowborough last season, they had to realise that in the Crowborough League, no team are an easy pushover. Shortly after the restart, Hastings took a grip on the game, and the cobwebs had been blown away. Aaron Parris received the ball in midfield, and laid the ball into JJ Beaumont, who ran into the channel and crossed the ball in for the ever brave Danny Headech to nod the ball into the net, leaving the keeper no chance. United now looked good in patches, playing some very good passing play, pulling Crowborough apart at will. United's second goal came following a finely worked passage of play from the back, through midfield and into Aaron's path, and he clipped the ball into the net to make it 2-1. On the wing, JJ was having a great game, running the channel just like manager Darrol had asked him to do, Lee Paine and Aaron were linking up well, causing Crowborough's defence major problems whenever they got forward. On one occasion, Lee played a delightful ball into Aaron, with just the keeper to beat, Aaron kept his cool and found the far side of the goal for a 3-1 lead. Shortly before half time, and certainly under the cosh, Crowborough failed to deal with their own goal kick, as the shortest player on the pitch, JJ, rose above everyone else to head the ball into Lee in the channel, the ball sat up invitingly for Lee on his left foot, and he made no mistake, chipping the keeper for a 4-1 interval lead.
Half time came and Darrol gave the team his opinion. Despite being 4-1 up, and effectively game won, he urged his side to play football whenever given the chance, to keep to the gameplan, and they would score more. The second half got underway, and the Colts had taken heed to what they had been told. On a rare occasion that Crowborough broke into the Hastings half, Jack came and claimed the ball easily, his resulting clearance found Aaron, who once again linked up with Lee, who realised that he had no option but to lay the ball backwards, he set up JJ, who lobbed the keeper from twenty yards for a very well deserved goal. Crowborough were deflated and seemed to surrender, all that was missing was a white flag. Their frustration was clear to see, as they started to lash out with a few kicks after the ball had been played. Eddie was on the receiving end of their childish outbursts on more than one occasion, but despite losing his temper, he still managed to keep his cool.
The Colts hadn't finished inflicting a hefty scoreline on the Crows, and after some fine midfield play, Danny slotted the ball past the oncoming keeper to make it 6-1. United looked threatening with every attack, and substitute Josh Ensell made the score 7-1, when a saved shot rebounded into his path for him to side-foot it into the net. The Colts eighth and final goal came from Charlie Sellens, who received the ball from an indirect free kick, given for a backpass that the keeper was left no option but to catch, as the ball headed goalbound from one of his full backs. A fine result and some great play from the Colts. Every player had a good game and the play was pleasing to watch.
Holland Sports P-P Hastings United
13/9. Points awarded to Holland Sports, as United were unable to raise a side to fulfil the fixture.