Youth Team Match reports 2010/11
First Team Reports 2011/12
Reports kindly supplied by Barrie West
19 April 2012 - Worthing Youth 2-1 Hastings United Youth
5 April 2012 - Horsham Youth 4-3 Hastings United Youth
19 March 2012 - Hastings United Youth 0-3 Whitehawk Youth
5 March 2012 - Lewes Youth 4-0 Hastings United Youth
20 February 2012 - Hastings United Youth 1-5 Burgess Hill Town Youth
25 January 2012 - Burgess Hill Town Youth 4-0 Hastings United Youth
9 January 2012 - Hastings United Youth 1-2 Lewes Youth
27 November 2011 - Burgess Hill Town Youth W/O Hastings United Youth
21 November 2011 - Hastings United Youth 6-0 Bognor Regis Town Youth
14 November 2011 - Eastbourne Town Youth 0-3 Hastings United Youth
7 November 2011 - Hastings United Youth 2-4 Horsham YMCA Youth
1 November 2011 - Hastings United Youth 3-2 Horsham Youth
26 October 2011 - Welling United Youth 1-1 Hastings United Youth (Welling won 4-1 on penalties)
9 October 2011 - Hastings United Youth W/O Seaford Town Youth
6 October 2011 - Horsham YMCA Youth 1-4 Hastings United Youth
28 September 2011 - Bognor Regis Town Youth 1-3 Hastings United Youth
22 September 2011 - Thamesmead Town Youth 3-2 Hastings United Youth
12 September 2011 - Hastings United Youth 5-4 Eastbourne Town Youth
8 September 2011 - Hastings United Youth 3-2 Tonbridge Angels Youth
31 August 2011 - Whitehawk Youth 6-2 Hastings United Youth
22 August 2011 - Hastings United Youth 0-5 Worthing Youth
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Worthing Youth (1) 2 - 1 (0) Hastings United Youth
19/4/12 - United brought down the curtain on their debut Ryman Youth League campaign with another trip into West Sussex, finishing with a visit to a Worthing side that had thumped them 5-0 at the Pilot Field in the opening game of the season. Conditions were far from ideal, after a week of inclement weather, but the partially waterlogged pitch was passed fit by the referee nonetheless, at least saving the U's from a completely wasted journey.
However, the final result went against the visitors for the seventh match in a row, a wretched run that has not been helped by a sequence of tough fixtures, or by the frequent unavailability of key players. Indeed, skipper Scott West only took his place in the back four after a coming through a late fitness test for a back problem, but Kasey Smith was not so lucky, withdrawing during the warm-up to leave United with a squad of thirteen, including two goalkeepers.
A sudden downpour straight after kick off added to the sense of gloom, but the U's actually started in a positive fashion and held the upper hand in the early stages, but without testing home keeper Jack Fagan. Unusually though, United were unable to make use of the pace and trickery of Aaron Parris and Gio Bacor down the flanks, neither of the wide men imposing themselves on proceedings, as play become increasingly bogged down in the congested central midfield area.
After forty minutes without a sniff of a chance at either end, Scott Ellis (pictured right) suddenly forced an error out of a home defender and crossed for Jamie Crone to fire inches wide, but ironically, even that lone miss proved costly, as the Rebels stole the lead from their only meaningful attack of the half as the interval beckoned. Jamie Ampleford robbed Charlie Elgar of possession near the right touchline and cut inside before beating Harry Stapley with an excellent strike from the narrowest of angles.
U's boss Terry Avann introduced Ryan Jinks from the bench in place of Dan Blaney shortly after the restart, but the change had little impact on the pattern of play, with the hosts comfortably holding onto their lead, and United continually failing to get the ball down and play to their strengths. Without having looked remotely threatening either, Worthing then doubled their lead in the sixty-sixth minute, Rickkie Rand's ineffective clearance presenting Ampleford with the opportunity to claim another goal.
Parris went close to an instant reply, only denied by Fagan's outstanding save, while Crone perhaps should have done better than to head the ensuing corner over from close range. The visitors then suffered an unfortunate injury blow when Callum McDonald was forced off with an ankle problem, George Legg taking over the gloves from Stapley, who took over in the back four for the final quarter of an hour.
Legg pulled off a fine save to deny Ampleford a hat-trick, before United went on to dominate the closing few minutes. Ellis set up Bacor for a gilt-edged chance that he somehow managed to put over the bar from barely six yards out, but Ellis was finally able to lay claim to an assist with just three minutes remaining, teeing up Crone (pictured left) for his first goal in U's colours.
There was not enough time for the visitors to find an equaliser though, and not for the first time this season, they were left empty-handed from a contest in which they had probably deserved a share of the spoils at least.
What is in little doubt is that their eight week break from action over Christmas and the New Year interrupted United when they were at the height of their form this season and sitting top of the table. But a campaign of extremes ended with the U's in sixth place, still better than appeared immediately likely back in August.
The proposed return of Reserve Team football at the Pilot Field for 2012/13 should allow a few of the Under 18 squad to step up to and continue their progress towards hopefully representing the senior side on a regular basis, as several have already done on isolated occasions. Meanwhile, the expansion of the Youth set-up into a Development Squad should enable some of the Club's talented juniors to carry on experiencing Ryman Youth League football at a tender age. Exciting times are certainly ahead for United's young stars of the future.
United starting line-up: 1 Harry Stapley, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Scott West (c), 5 Callum McDonald, 6 Charlie Bachellier, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Dan Blaney, 9 Jamie Crone, 10 Scott Ellis, 11 Gio Bacor.
Subs: 12 Ryan Jinks (for Blaney 49), 15 Kasey Smith, GK George Legg (for McDonald 74).
Goal: Jamie Crone 87.
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Horsham Youth (2) 4 - 3 (2) Hastings United Youth
5/4/12 - A lengthy trip to West Sussex proved to be every bit as unwelcome as it sounds, as United's losing run reached a round half dozen with defeat by the odd goal in seven against Horsham at Broadbridge Heath this evening.
For the penultimate match of their debut season in the Ryman Youth League, the U's were only able to muster eleven players, with one of them, midfielder Charlie Sellens, still carrying a knock from their previous game against Whitehawk. It wasn't long before he started to struggle with his injury as well, and despite his best efforts to keep up with play, United were effectively half a man short for much of the contest.
Having beaten Horsham 3-2 in the reverse fixture at The Pilot Field, the U's were hopeful of ending their poor run of results in 2012, and after coming out of the blocks rather quicker than the Hornets, they perhaps ought to have been two goals to the good in the early stages, as both Jamie Crone and Aaron Parris wasted decent opportunities to give them the lead.
The early exchanges were nothing if not eventful, and served to give the small crowd a certain insight into the apparent eccentricities of the match officials, particularly when Crone seized upon Alex Parsons' underhit backpass, only to be flagged offside, before United full back Charlie Elgar was allowed to get away with a blatant foul on flying winger Toko Moyo in the penalty area.
The U's fortune was short-lived however, and in the sixteenth minute, they conceded possession cheaply in midfield, with the hosts taking full advantage to open the scoring through Harry Smith.
Within six minutes, United were back on terms, with Sellens playing a good ball out to Ryan Jinks on the right flank, from where he delivered a pinpoint cross for his Under 16s teammate Gio Bacor (pictured right) to calmly fire past keeper Jonny Burfiend and claim his first goal at Under 18 level.
Elgar belatedly found his way into the referee's notebook for another rash challenge on Moyo, before the U's took the lead just past the half hour mark, Jinks and Bacor combining to release Crone down the right, and his cross was turned in by Parris. But a superb header from Greig Gander ensured that the interval arrived with honours even once again, United keeper George Legg beaten for a second time.
Crone missed another good opportunity shortly after the interval, with Zak Comber wasting a gilt-edged chance at the other end, as the home side started to pin the U's back in their own half.
Indeed, it was much against the run of play that United went back in front in the sixty-fifth minute, Scott West's long pass evading both Crone and Gander, as they challenged for possession, with Bacor reacting quickest to the loose ball to steer a textbook finish inside Burfiend's far post.
Horsham stormed back at United though, equalising eight minutes later thanks to a fine strike from Parsons, and with only four minutes remaining, they well and truly broke U's hearts by grabbing a winner, substitute Stanley Rice pouncing on a poor headed clearance from Rickkie Rand.
Not for the first time this season, United were left to curse missed opportunities and some enigmatic officiating, as they slid to a ninth defeat in fifteen games. A point in their final fixture at Worthing in a fortnight will be enough to see the U's to a fifth place finish, before some of the squad move up to the senior ranks and to the Club's newly formed Reserve side next season.
United starting line-up: 1 George Legg, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Scott West (c), 5 Callum McDonald, 6 Charlie Sellens, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Ryan Jinks, 9 Jamie Crone, 10 Gio Bacor, 11 Scott Ellis.
Goals: Gio Bacor 22, 65, Aaron Parris 32.
Booked: Charlie Elgar, Scott West.
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Hastings United Youth (0) 0 - 3 (2) Whitehawk Youth
19/3/12 - United had waited since the second game of the season to avenge a somewhat unfortunate 6-2 reverse at the hands of Whitehawk, but that wait proved to be in vain, as they slumped to a fifth consecutive defeat in their final home match of a mixed debut Ryman League campaign.
After experiencing horrendous selection problems for the trip to Lewes two weeks earlier, Terry Avann's squad was back to something resembling full strength this evening, however injury to first choice keeper Harry Stapley, coupled with back-up George Legg's unavailability, did see Edward Avann make his debut in goal.
Ultimately, three goals in twelve minutes either side of half time saw the Hawks take all three points to maintain their title challenge, but how different things might have been had Scott Ellis (pictured right) not wasted a glorious early chance for the U's, blazing over from barely ten yards out with the goal at his mercy.
That was an isolated moment of alarm in either defence until the closing stages of the half, when Whitehawk started to take advantage of some suddenly sloppy defending to establish a two goal lead. United had already had one let-off after errors by Charlie Elgar and Scott West went unpunished, but Fred Taylor made no mistake from a right wing cross to put his side in front, and the unmarked Alex Wilson doubled the advantage four minutes later.
Charlie Sellens went desperately close to a quick response, but the half ended with United firmly on the back foot, and only seven minutes after the restart, it got worse still, as Callum McDonald was caught in possession by Matthew Daniel, who easily beat Avann to make it three.
The introduction of Jack Panther as a sixty-fifth minute substitute gave United a degree more attacking momentum, and Aaron Parris fired a shot against an upright, as they began to take control of proceedings. Gio Bacor and Ryan Jinks joined the fray for the final ten minutes, but the Hawks' three goal salvo had long since done sufficient damage to United's hopes of arresting their alarming slide since the turn of the year, when they sat proudly on top of the league table.
A mid-table finish is as good as the U's can now wish for, and they can secure fifth place with a win at lowly Horsham in two and a half weeks' time, before ending the season at Worthing eleven days later.
United starting line-up: 1 Edward Avann, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Scott West (c), 5 Callum McDonald, 6 Ross Williams, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Charlie Sellens, 9 Jamie Crone, 10 Charlie Bachellier, 11 Scott Ellis.
Subs: 12 Jack Panther (for Sellens 65), 14 Dan Blaney, 15 Ryan Jinks (for Williams 80), 16 Gio Bacor (for Ellis 80).
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Lewes Youth (1) 4 - 0 (0) Hastings United Youth
5/3/12 - After successive defeats to leaders Burgess Hill, which had themselves followed a home reverse to Lewes, the last thing that the U's needed was selection problems as they prepared for this evening's visit to the Dripping Pan. But boss Terry Avann sadly had headaches aplenty, with more than half of his regular starting eleven unavailable due to work and college commitments and injury, leaving him with no option but to raid the Under 16s for reinforcements.
For twenty-five minutes, the youthful United side comfortably held its own, and might have led after a strong run down the left from fifteen year old Gio Bacor (pictured left) ended with a cross that stand-in skipper Lee Paine stabbed narrowly wide from no more than six yards out.
Lewes eventually began to get on top though, and took the lead when Harry Morris cut a low ball back to the egde of the area for Jordan Stubbings to fire past George Legg, who moments earlier had done well to deny Layton Schaaf.
Bacor went close to an equaliser ten minutes before the interval, but after battling past his full back, he sent his effort wide of Jess Grinstone's right hand post. The prospect of playing the second half with a strong wind at their backs certainly still gave United hope of achieving a result, as they went in at the break just one goal behind.
Those hopes were effectively dashed within a couple of minutes of the restart though, as a fine passing move opened up the U's defence, presenting Max Howell with the simplest of chances to double the home side's advantage. By contrast, United struggled to create any sort of consistent threat, with the dangerous Bacor finding himself far better contained, before eventually giving way to debutant Olly Carter.
The Rooks increased their lead in the seventy-third minute, Stubbings expertly volleying home from the edge of the area to claim his second goal of the game. That ended the match as a contest, although the U's avoided further punishment until the final minute of the ninety, when poor defending at a corner enabled Kieron Joseph to complete the scoring.
Whilst a fourth consecutive defeat since the turn of the year was not necessarily unexpected, there was a sense of what might have been for the U's, had a few more of their more usual squad members been available. The younger players all acquitted themselves well however, with Dan Blaney slotting in nicely alongside Callum McDonald in the back four, and Kurt Looby giving a good account of himself down the right flank.
Bacor's fine display also provided added belief that the future looks bright for the U's, for whom midfielder Phil Lee and striker Paine have now made their final appearance at Youth level. Lee will be forced to sit out the remainder of the season after an operation, while Paine shortly starts his basic training after joining the Army, and everyone at United would like to wish both every success for the future.
The U's have two weeks to prepare for their next fixture, their final home game of the campaign, and they will be out to avenge one of their heavier early season losses, when Whitehawk visit the Pilot Field.
United starting line-up: 1 George Legg, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Dan Blaney, 4 Rickkie Rand, 5 Callum McDonald, 6 Charlie Bachellier, 7 Kurt Looby, 8 Charlie Sellens, 9 Lee Paine (c), 10 Scott Ellis, 11 Gio Bacor.
Subs: 12 Ryan Jinks (for Looby 65), 14 Kasey Smith (for Sellens 74), 15 Olly Carter (for Bacor 65), GK Edward Avann.
Booked: Charlie Bachellier.
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Hastings United Youth (1) 1 - 5 (1) Burgess Hill Town Youth
20/2/12 - Less than four weeks after conceding four second half goals in defeat at Leylands Park, United suffered exactly the same fate at the Pilot Field, as Burgess Hill Town completed a league double over the U's to strengthen their position at the top of the South Division league table, and to condemn the well beaten hosts to a third straight loss.
United welcomed back one full back in Rickkie Rand, but lost another in Charlie Elgar, handing Dan Blaney a debut on the right hand side of a defence that also saw Jack Panther return for Callum McDonald. Further forward, leading scorer Lee Paine was back, relegating Charlie Sellens to the subs' bench, from where Kurt Looby also made his first appearance in the closing stages.
The opening quarter of the contest saw keeper Harry Stapley produce a trio of fine saves to keep the visitors at bay, with the U's struggling to impose themselves on the game. Jamie Crone's pace was proving an occasionally useful asset at the other end, although he spurned the clearest sight of goal in the twenty-fourth minute, after Paine's strong run and astute pass found him in space in the area.
The resulting corner produced the opening goal however, Aaron Parris floating a deep cross onto the head of midfielder Charlie Bachellier (pictured right), who nodded powerfully home to put the U's in front, largely against the run of play. The lead would not last long though, and Blaney had already rescued his side, after Stapley had been caught out of position for once, when Panther was penalised for a foul in the area, giving Luke Donaldson the chance to equalise from the penalty spot.
Despite dominating the rest of the half, the Hillians had to settle for parity at the interval, but they were in front within thirty seconds of the restart, as Seb Saunders' right wing cross was laid into the path of strike partner Max Miller, who drilled a low shot beyond the helpless Stapley. The U's overworked custodian denied the same player moments later, before Miller and Saunders each wasted gilt-edged opportunities from Donaldson's left wing cross.
Full back Brandon Willis went close from a corner, and Stapley was quickly off his line to smother another Miller effort, but the livewire forward finally doubled his tally in the sixty-ninth minute, pouncing on Rand's weak clearance from a corner, and he completed his hat-trick less than ninety seconds later, racing clear and lobbing the advancing Stapley.
Burgess Hill then made it three goals in four minutes, Saunders breaking through to beat Stapley at the second attempt, at which point United boss Terry Avann decided to give the keeper a break, introducing George Legg for the final fifteen minutes. The new arrival quickly pulled off a sharp save to keep the score to five, while Bachellier twice went close to claiming a late consolation goal, only for teammate Scott Ellis to unwittingly get in the way on each occasion.
That seemed to sum up United's second half display, although in fairness, the visitors had given a tremendous account of themselves after a quieter opening period, thoroughly deserving a win that took them three points clear at the top. The U's tricky run of fixtures since the turn of the year has seen them slip to a distant fourth place now, and their visit to Lewes in a fortnight's time will more than likely be another stern test of character.
United starting line-up: 1 Harry Stapley, 2 Dan Blaney, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Scott West (c), 5 Jack Panther, 6 Phil Lee, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Charlie Bachellier, 9 Jamie Crone, 10 Lee Paine, 11 Scott Ellis.
Subs: 12 Charlie Sellens (for Lee 83), 15 Kurt Looby (for Blaney 75), GK George Legg (for Stapley 75).
Goal: Charlie Bachellier 24.
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Burgess Hill Town Youth (0) 4 - 0 (0) Hastings United Youth
25/1/12 - United suffered their second defeat in a row since the turn of the year, as four second half goals saw Burgess Hill claim an ultimately comfortable victory, and one that took them three points clear at the top of the South Division table.
Missing three regulars in Jack Panther, Rickkie Rand and Lee Paine, boss Terry Avann handed a debut to Ross Williams at left back and a first start to Jamie Crone, and it soon became apparent that United's changed line-up might struggle to compete with their lively hosts. The visitors had keeper Harry Stapley (pictured) to thank for keeping the scoreline blank in the first half, while at the other end, Andrew Edwards made one fine stop to tip over an Arron Parris shot, and Crone went close on a couple of occasions, but there was little doubt about which side had been in the ascendancy at the interval.
The pattern continued during the second period, with the Hillians well on top, but United created the best chance of the game in the fifty-fifth minute, Crone sent clear on goal, only to be denied by Edwards' fine save. Three minutes later, the home side made United pay for that miss, a corner falling at the feet of Seb Saunders for a simple finish, although United were convinced that defender Scott West had been fouled as he contested the cross.
The U's were left cursing more ill-luck a quarter of an hour later, as Crone's spectacular effort crashed against the crossbar, with the rebound falling kindly for the home side to clear. A quick counter-attack led to another corner, from which United were guilty of some poor defending that allowed Luke Donaldson to double the Hillians' advantage, the same player seizing upon a disputed throw-in to add a third barely ninety seconds later.
One final moment of good fortune enabled the hosts to wrap up the win in the last couple of minutes, Callum McDonald's attempted clearance being met with a strong block by striker Max Miller, which sent the ball spiralling over Stapley's head and into the back of the net from all of forty yards out.
United have played a lot worse than they did this evening and won, but up against strong opposition, and with the rub of the green indisputably in Burgess Hill's favour, they slumped to their heaviest defeat since the opening two weeks of the season, when prospects for the campaign looked a whole lot bleaker. A trip to struggling Horsham next week will hopefully bring the U's greater success, not to mention greater luck.
United starting line-up: 1 Harry Stapley, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Ross Williams, 4 Scott West (c), 5 Callum McDonald, 6 Phil Lee, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Charlie Sellens, 9 Jamie Crone, 10 Charlie Bachellier, 11 Scott Ellis.
Subs: 12 Nelson Whyman (for Sellens 62), 15 Kasey Smith (for Crone 77), 16 Gio Bacor (for Bachellier 70), 17 Wesleigh Peoples, GK George Legg.
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Hastings United Youth (1) 1 - 2 (0) Lewes Youth
9/1/12 - After a seven week break without a fixture, straddling the Christmas and New Year peiod, United finally got back into action with a visit from a strong Lewes side, expected to be amongst the title contenders this season. Going into the game top of the table themselves, but severely lacking in match fitness, the U's performed well and, but for some wasteful finishing, might have earned an upset win.
United should have taken the lead within seconds of the opening kick off, a well placed pass down the right hand channel found Aaron Parris, who stepped inside his full back and was left with just the keeper to beat, but rushed his shot and dragged it wide of the far post. A quarter of an hour later, they went close again when only a goalline clearance denied Lee Paine a goal, while the visitors were largely restricted to long range efforts that failed to trouble Harry Stapley.
As the half wore on though, it was evident that the Rooks were starting to look more dangerous, and it was rather against the run of play that United took a thirty-eighth minute lead, and in fortuitous circumstances too. Left back Rickkie Rand (pictured) linked up with Scott Ellis down the flank and clipped over a misdirected cross that drifted over the Lewes keeper's head and dropped into the net to put the hosts ahead at the interval.
Lewes continued to enjoy the better of open play after the restart, with United guilty of resorting to a long ball game in an effort to clear their lines at times. Around the hour mark, manager Terry Avann decided to change the look of the side with the lightning quick Jamie Crone replacing Paine for his U's debut, and Nelson Whyman taking over from Charlie Sellens in midfield.
United immediately began to create a few half chances again, although the visitors still looked the more likely scorers, with home skipper Scott West perhaps fortunate to escape with just a yellow card after stumbling and bringing down a Lewes forward who would surely have been clean through on goal. His evening ended early in any case, as an injury suffered in making that challenge saw him taken off five minutes later, Ryan Jinks entering the fray in his place.
A defensive reshuffle led to Phil Lee dropping back from midfield to play alongside Jack Panther, but their makeshift pairing looked a little more vulnerable, and Lewes soon looked to take full advantage. It didn't take long for the Rooks to claim an equaliser, a fiercely struck shot from the edge of the area crashing against the crossbar, and with the helpless Stapley well beaten, the rebound fell kindly for Layton Schaaf to help himself to one of the easiest goals he will score all season.
Losing their lead with barely ten minutes remaining brought an impressively resilient response from United, and a brilliant, defence-splitiing pass by Panther again sent Parris clear, but a fine save kept the scores level. A quick break down the left by Crone was then followed by an inch perfect cross onto Jinks' head, but the substitute placed his attempt wide from no more than six yards out.
A side as good as Lewes were unlikely to let such fortune go to waste, and sure enough, United were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal with the contest entering its final minutes. A rash challenge by Ellis near the goalline gave the Rooks a free kick, which was floated to the far post for defender Josh Philips to nod the winning goal past Stapley.
The U's were left to reflect on what might have been, as the visitors celebrated claiming all three points and taking over top spot as well. With more clinical finishing though, the outcome could have been completely different, and United will be hopeful of revenge when they visit the Dripping Pan in early March. Next week, the U's face an even stiffer test, away to Burgess Hill Town, another title contender, if not the outright favourites.
United starting line-up: 1 Harry Stapley, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Jack Panther, 5 Scott West (c), 6 Phil Lee, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Charlie Sellens, 9 Lee Paine, 10 Scott Ellis, 11 Charlie Bachellier.
Subs: 12 Nelson Whyman (for Sellens 59), 14 Jamie Crone (for Paine 59), 15 Ryan Jinks (for West 70), 17 Kasey Smith, GK George Legg.
Goal: Rickkie Rand 38.
Booked: Charlie Bachellier, Phil Lee, Scott West, Jack Panther.
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Burgess Hill Town Youth W/O Hastings United Youth
27/11/11 - United's curious march to the quarter finals of the County Cup without kicking a ball came to a somewhat appropriate end today, as they were eliminated without kicking a ball.
Unable to raise a side for a rare Sunday fixture, the U's were forced to forfeit their third round tie away to Ryman Youth League rivals Burgess Hill, but can nonetheless look back with great pride on their performances throughout the first half of their debut season playing at this level.
Now without a fixture for the remainder of the calendar year, the U's will return to action in early January, when they will first play host to title favourites Lewes, before a scheduled league visit to Leylands Park later in the month.
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Hastings United Youth (3) 6 - 0 (0) Bognor Regis Town Youth
21/11/11 - United claimed their biggest win of the season, and belatedly got their goal difference into positive figures, by overwhelming struggling Bognor at the Pilot Field this evening, consolidating their position at the top of the league table in the process.
With the exception of Callum McDonald and Leo Torr, missing with eye and knee injuries respectively, U's boss Terry Avann had the rare luxury a full squad to select from, and the hosts wasted no time establishing a foothold in what turned out to be a one-sided contest.
Less than three minutes were on the clock, when Aaron Parris intercepted a poor pass from a Bognor defender and slotted the ball inside the far post to give United a lead that they never looked likely to surrender, most effectively banishing any bad memories of their last home match against Horsham YMCA.
They did suffer a blow just four minutes later however, when influential skipper Scott West was forced to hobble out of the action after taking a blow on the ankle. Phil Lee dropped into the back four to partner Jack Panther, with Charlie Sellens taking his regular midfield spot, but the enforced changes proved to be seamless enough, and United doubled their lead just past the quarter hour mark, when a Parris corner was spilled by the Bognor keeper, giving Nelson Whyman (pictured right) the simple task of finding an empty net.
The visitors were restricted to hopeful, long range efforts, as they tried in vain to get back into the game, while Parris continued to create all manner of problems for his opposing full back, although the U's third goal actually came from a break down the other flank, Lee Paine combining well with Rickkie Rand, setting up the left back for a cross that Charlie Bachellier (pictured left) fired home in the twenty-fifth minute.
With the Rocks' defence looking anything but solid, United maintained the pressure in search of more goals before the interval, and their ball retention gave the match a training game feel, Bognor simply unable to overturn possession at times. Half time arrived without further addition to the score though, but not long after the restart, right back Charlie Elgar managed to get in on the act, his cross allowing Scott Ellis to grab the U's fourth of the night, bringing him level with Parris and Paine on seven goals for the season.
Seven minutes later, Whyman found himself in space just outside the area, and although his twenty yard effort appeared to be drifting wide, it took a heavy deflection off a luckless defender and left the keeper hopelessly wrongfooted, as it flew into the opposite corner of the net.
With the game well and truly won, Avann sent on sub keeper George Legg for the final quarter, but as with Harry Stapley before him, Legg was scarcely called into action. The same couldn't be said at the other end, where United kept the Bognor goal under almost constant threat, and only some desperate goalline defending prevented Parris and Paine from extending the lead still further.
Paine was not to be denied all evening though, and with just five minutes remaining, he notched his eighth of the campaign to complete the scoring at an even half dozen. Back to back clean sheets will have been an equally pleasing statistic for Avann, especially after the early reshuffle, but United are acutely aware that sterner tests lie ahead, including home and away fixtures to come against title favourites Lewes, once the league resumes after a December break.
Mind you, the Rooks' last league outing ended in a 4-1 home defeat to Burgess Hill, who will be United's next opponents in the third round of the County Cup on Sunday morning.
United starting line-up: 1 Harry Stapley, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Scott West (c), 5 Jack Panther, 6 Phil Lee, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Charlie Bachellier, 9 Lee Paine, 10 Nelson Whyman, 11 Scott Ellis.
Subs: 12 Charlie Sellens (for West 7), 14 Kasey Smith, 15 Ryan Jinks, 16 Gio Bacor (for Whyman 70), GK George Legg (for Stapley 67).
Goals: Aaron Parris 3, Nelson Whyman 16, 65, Charlie Bachellier 25, Scott Ellis 58, Lee Paine 85.
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Eastbourne Town Youth (0) 0 - 3 (2) Hastings United Youth
14/11/11 - United travelled the short distance along the coast to Eastbourne this evening, as they sought to bounce back from last week's shocking home defeat against the side propping up the South Division table. A squad depleted by injury, illness and work commitments forced boss Terry Avann to bring in Gio Bacor and Ryan Jinks from the Under 16s to bolster the numbers, although the U's were still only able to name two substitutes, including reserve keeper George Legg.
Lining up in an unfamliar 5-4-1 formation, employing Bacor and Aaron Parris as wing backs, United kept a sold defensive line throughout the contest and were seldom threatened. They dominated from the word go, with Parris fizzing an early ball across the face of goal, and Nelson Whyman heading wide from a Parris corner when he should have done better.
Scott Ellis then crashed a shot against the bar, and Whyman went close once again after good build-up play by striker Lee Paine, but just when it seemed that United were destined never to score, yet another Parris corner found the head of captain Scott West (pictured right), who made no mistake to put the U's in front. Just three minutes later, Paine latched onto a Parris through ball to nudge a shot past the onrushing Town keeper and send the U's in at the interval with a comfortable advantage.
The one-way traffic continued into the second period, with Charlie Bachellier forcing the keeper into a tremendous save, while Ellis seized upon Paine's delightful flick to tuck the ball inside the far post, only for an offside flag to cut short United's celebrations.
As the clock ticked down, Jinks was introduced for Kasey Smith, but the addition of another youthful face made little or no difference to the balance of play. The home side did manage one shot on goal late on, but it was nothing to trouble Harry Stapley in the United goal, who was able to keep the U's first clean sheet of the season.
And with three minutes remaining, Paine ran onto West's astute pass to slot home his second goal of the evening, wrapping up an accomplished display from the under-strength visitors, for whom the three points took them back to the top of the table, thanks also in no small part to Burgess Hill's surprise victory at Lewes. And the U's will hope to consolidate their lead when Bognor Regis visit the Pilot Field next Monday.
United starting line-up: 1 Harry Stapley, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Scott West (c), 5 Gio Bacor, 6 Nelson Whyman, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Charlie Bachellier, 9 Lee Paine, 10 Scott Ellis, 11 Kasey Smith.
Subs: 12 Ryan Jinks (for Smith 75), GK George Legg.
Goals: Scott West 37, Lee Paine 40, 87.
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Hastings United Youth (1) 2 - 4 (3) Horsham YMCA Youth
7/11/11 - Lee Paine and Aaron Parris grabbed their fifth and sixth goals of the season respectively this evening, but the U's later had Scott Ellis sent off, as they crashed to defeat at home to a Horsham YMCA side that they had handsomely beaten in the return fixture at Gorings Mead just a month ago.
That night, some poor finishing from YMCA contributed to United's comfortable victory, one that the U's appeared capable of repeating, as they got off to a good start, forcing four corners in the first ten minutes. The breakthrough duly came when Nelson Whyman combined down the right hand side with Parris, who crossed to the far post for Paine (pictured right) to easily volley home. The home side looked to build on that good start as well, continuing to dominate the game and forcing several more corners, from one of which Callum McDonald fired a fierce shot just over, when he maybe should have done better.
YMCA were happy to play the long ball, in an apparently fruitless effort to gain some respite from United's ceaseless pressing, but the tactic suddenly paid off in the twenty-ninth minute, the ball arriving at the feet of striker Scott Murrell, who tumbled theatrically under Charlie Sellens' unnecessary challenge from behind. The referee was quick to award a penalty, booking the midfielder for the foul, and although keeper Harry Stapley guessed the right way, he was unable to keep out Lewis Scally's spot kick, as YMCA got back on level terms completely against the run of play.
The equaliser affected United badly, as did a curious switch in roles for Ellis and Paine, which nullified their attacking threat and allowed YMCA to get a firm grip on proceedings. The visitors were suddenly winning the central midfield battle, putting undue pressure on Stapley and his back four as a consequence, and a ball down the right flank saw a borderline offside Louis Masih beat stand-in left back Panther and bear down on goal, firing low past Stapley to give the visitors a shock lead.
A third goal was to follow just before the interval, a Stapley clearance being returned instantly into the home penalty area, where Panther was beaten in the air, setting up a simple chance for Masih to claim his second of the evening, and whilst the half time scoreline certainly flattered YMCA, the U's had been the architects of their own downfall with some sloppy play in midfield, and rather toothless displays at either end.
United boss Terry Avann got the response that he had requested following the restart though, an altogether higher tempo putting the visitors under pressure once again, and from Panther's defence splitting pass, Parris (pictured left) ran through to give the home side a fifty-fourth minute lifeline.
The glorious comeback failed to materialise however, and the contest became increasingly physical, with the referee allowing some ugly challenges to go unpunished, whilst handing out yellow cards for seemingly more trivial offences. Even so, it is rare for United to let indiscipline get the better of them, but this turned out to be one such occasion.
First, right back Charlie Elgar made a fateful error to gift YMCA a two goal lead once more, ignoring Stapley's call, as the keeper came to collect a Masih cross, and nodding the ball straight to Murrell, who had the simplest of opportunities to roll it into an empty net.
Moments later, Ellis latched onto a through ball and advanced into the YMCA area, where he was bundled over from behind in a carbon copy of the first half penalty incident. Astonishingly though, the referee waved play on, and in United's fury, Ellis overstepped the mark with some of his comments towards the official and was shown a straight red card.
Playing a man short for the final fifteen minutes proved to be a thankless task, and YMCA were perfectly content to sit back and soak up United's largely ineffective pressure. Ultimately, mistakes all over the field cost the U's on the night, and although they could point to some dubious refereeing decisions with some justification, these were not the reasons why the game had been lost.
A win would have taken United back to the top of the table, after Lewes destroyed current leaders Worthing 7-3 at the Dripping Pan this evening, but as it is, Avann's charges dropped to third, ahead of next Monday's visit to bottom of the league Eastbourne Town.
United starting line-up: 1 Harry Stapley, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Jack Panther, 4 Callum McDonald, 5 Scott West (c), 6 Phil Lee, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Charlie Sellens, 9 Scott Ellis, 10 Nelson Whyman, 11 Lee Paine.
Subs: 12 Kasey Smith (for Panther 85), 14 Ryan Jinks (for Sellens 88), GK George Legg.
Goals: Lee Paine 10, Aaron Parris 54.
Booked: Charlie Sellens, Jack Panther, Scott West, Aaron Parris.
Sent off: Scott Ellis.
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Hastings United Youth (3) 3 - 2 (0) Horsham Youth
1/11/11 - Three days after the First Team's five goal thrashing of Horsham, the Under 18s entertained their West Sussex counterparts, and having at one stage looked capable of repeating the senior side's winning margin, they had to settle for a rather closer scoreline after a late Hornets fightback at the Pilot Field this evening.
In truth, United made hard work of claiming their fourth consecutive league victory, despite always seeming to be in complete control of what turned out to be a fairly mediocre spectacle. U's boss Terry Avann had a near full strength squad from which to choose, including four of the five players to have been involved with the First Team since the recent departure of Jason Hopkinson from the manager's role, missing only striker Lee Paine from that quintet.
The opening quarter passed by without great incident, although Aaron Parris did hit the bar with one headed chance. In the twenty-fourth minute though, Parris' corner was flicked on by skipper Scott West for Scott Ellis to force the ball over the line from inside the six yard box, and the striker helped himself to another goal on the half hour mark, feeding off a Nelson Whyman through ball to put United two up.
It wasn't long before Ellis (pictured right) was at it again, chasing a long ball into the area, where he was upended by a clumsy challenge for a clear penalty, which Parris duly converted to make it three. Whyman missed a great opportunity to heap further misery on the visitors ahead of the interval, with United keeper Harry Stapley only called upon to make one solitary save in the first forty-five minutes.
The second period proved to be something of a letdown by comparison, as the U's failed to get enough men forward in support of Ellis, or to get the ball wide to either Jack Panther on the left, or to Parris on the right, too often losing any sense of attacking initiative. Avann tried to change things by introducing Charlie Sellens and Kasey Smith from the bench, but to little noticeable effect, and it wasn't until late in the game that Parris created another decent chance, which would have enabled Ellis to complete his hat-trick but for a goalline clearance.
The ball was thumped downfield, and West was harshly penalised for a foul on the halfway line. United failed to clear the ensuing free kick, and from out of nowhere, a Zac Comber shot flew past Stapley to get Horsham a consolation effort and deny the U's their first clean sheet of the season. A couple of minutes later, the nerves really started jangling, as the visitors grabbed a second goal, a simple through ball sending Comber clear to round Stapley and score with ease.
Not before time, United regained their composure and saw out the closing few minutes without further alarms. Indeed, they might have established a two goal lead once more when Ellis was played through on goal and appeared to be pulled back. The referee blew for what was assumed to be a penalty, the Horsham keeper reacting by shouting an obscenity at the official, earning himself a red card in the process, and all for nothing, with the whistle having simply signalled the end of the contest.
The three points lifted United back into second place in the league table, a remarkable turnaround from the early weeks of the campaign, when they lost their opening two matches and conceded eleven goals into the bargain. And the U's will have a chance to make it five in a row when they entertain Horsham YMCA next Monday evening, a month after winning the reverse fixture 4-1 at Gorings Mead.
United starting line-up: 1 Harry Stapley, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Callum McDonald, 5 Scott West (c), 6 Nelson Whyman, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Phil Lee, 9 Scott Ellis, 10 Charlie Bachellier, 11 Jack Panther.
Subs: 12 Charlie Sellens (for Whyman 73), 14 Kasey Smith (for Panther 80), 15 Ryan Jinks, GK George Legg.
Goals: Scott Ellis 24, 30, Aaron Parris pen 33.
Booked: Phil Lee, Callum McDonald.
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Welling United Youth (0) 1 - 1 (1) Hastings United Youth
(Welling United Youth won 4-1 on penalties)
26/10/11 - Almost three weeks after their last fixture, United returned to action with a League Cup first round tie away to Welling United, the contest taking place in the utterly soulless athletics stadium that is the Croydon Arena. U's boss Terry Avann found himself without defenders Charlie Elgar, Callum McDonald and Leo Torr, the latter having suffered a serious knee injury from which everyone wishes him a speedy recovery.
Left winger Jack Panther, himself only just recovered from a fractured ankle, and central midfielder Phil Lee were asked to fill the gaps at the back, with Kasey Smith handed a rare start on the flank, and two members of this year's free scoring Under 16 side invited to travel as substitutes.
It was inevitable that such a changed line-up would take time to settle in, and the home side duly dominated the early stages, albeit without seriously threatening George Legg in the United goal. The visitors struggled to impose their natural passing game in those opening exchanges, with too many long balls played in search of lone striker Scott Ellis (pictured right), but once they began to find some rhythm, stringing a few passes together, it didn't take long before they took the lead, Ellis seizing upon a decent through ball to curl a twenty-five yard effort around the keeper's outstretched arms in the twenty-eighth minute.
The stunned Welling players started to take out their frustrations on the officials, the referee beginning a busy night by cautioning a home forward for disputing an offside decision. United seemed to maintain their composure much the better though, and skipper Scott West nearly doubled the lead from a quickly taken long range free kick shortly before half time, but the home keeper did superbly well to retreat and tip the ball onto the crossbar and behind for a corner.
The second period saw wave upon wave of attacks bear down on the home goal, with West again going close in the fifty-eighth minute, drilling a low shot inches wide from an Aaron Parris corner. Lee Paine replaced Smith, taking on the lone striker role, with Ellis moving out wide, but the move served only to enhance United's attacking play, and it appeared to be simply a matter of time before they would put the game out of Welling's reach.
The U's hadn't counted on the moment of magic that followed in the sixty-eighth minute however, as the hosts got back on level terms thanks to a piece of sublime skill, Rickkie Rand's clearing header of a routine cross being met by an overhead kick that screamed past the helpless Legg for a quite outstanding equalliser.
Sadly though, the Welling players' indiscipline showed no sign of abating, despite them getting back into the game, and a couple of minutes after the goal, the home side were reduced to ten men, when their striker aimed a headbutt at West right in front of the assistant referee. They were perhaps fortunate not to have another player or two sent off as well, with their yellow card count reaching five, in addition to the sending off, while West and Ellis also found their way into the notebook on the night.
United spent the final twenty minutes encamped in their opponents' half, as they tried to make the extra man count, but Paine was twice denied by the keeper, with Parris missing the best chance to force a winner, while Nelson Whyman saw a shot bounce back off the crossbar, Ellis heading over from the rebound.
A magnificent display from the Welling number one kept United at bay for the remainder of the match though, and the full time whistle signalled an immediate penalty shoot-out to settle the tie, with no extra time being played. Two of the U's three attempts failed to find the net, with Welling getting four out of four past Legg (pictured left), to see them through to the second round, and another home tie against Burgess Hill at the end of November.
The U's could certainly emerge with heads held high though, an under-strength squad having stood up well in the face of some intimidatiing antics from the home side, and also having done more than enough to have deserved to win during the ninety minutes, only to come up against a keeper in wonderful form. After experiencing such a bemusingly hostile atmosphere though, they will no doubt be somewhat relieved to get back home for the first time in seven weeks, when Horsham visit the Pilot Field for a Ryman League match next Tuesday evening.
United starting line-up: 1 George Legg, 2 Rickkie Rand, 3 Phil Lee, 4 Scott West (c), 5 Jack Panther, 6 Charlie Bachellier, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Nelson Whyman, 9 Scott Ellis, 10 Charlie Sellens, 11 Kasey Smith.
Subs: 12 Olly Carter, 15 Lee Paine (for Smith 60), 16 Gio Bacor, GK Harry Stapley.
Goal: Scott Ellis 28.
Booked: Scott West, Scott Ellis.
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Hastings United Youth W/O Seaford Town Youth
9/10/11 - United will visit Burgess Hill Town in the third round of the County Cup, having negotiated the opening couple of rounds without having to kick a ball.
Having received a bye in round one, the U's were this morning handed a walkover victory over Seaford Town in round two, when their opponents were unable to raise a side for their scheduled trip to the Pilot Field.
By contrast, Burgess Hill have already played three hours of football to reach the same stage as United, winning 3-0 at home to Bexhill, and 5-0 at home to Southwick, one of the reasons why the Hillians have only managed to fit in two Ryman League South Division fixtures thus far.
The third round tie is due to take place towards the end of November, but for now, United can focus their attentions on a league visit from Whitehawk on Monday 17 October, an early chance to avenge the 6-2 defeat that they suffered at the Enclosed Ground in late August.
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Horsham YMCA Youth (1) 1 - 4 (2) Hastings United Youth
6/10/11 - A second successive long journey into West Sussex ended with a second successive league victory, earning United the three points that they needed to take over at the top of the South Division table, a fantastic achievement after suffering heavy defeats in each of their first two games of the season. Charlie Bachellier was the only player missing from last week's win at Bognor Regis Town, although his absence was offset by the return of striker Lee Paine, fresh from a couple of First Team appearances.
The home side started well, and perhaps should have taken an early lead from a close range header, but United slowly took control, with Aaron Parris causing all manner of problems down the right flank and whipping in a few dangerous crosses, although Paine was unable to take advantage.
The U's did hit the front in the sixteenth minute though, Scott Elliis being scythed down five yards outside the YMCA area, and Parris (pictured right) curling home a stunning free kick, straight out of the David Beckham copybook, giving the keeper no chance.
Horsham reacted well to the setback, but continued to meet stiff resistance from United's back line, although the visitors did enjoy a narrow escape when another headed chance came crashing back off the crossbar. Just past the half hour mark though, the U's luck ran out, defender Sam Bulley steering a low shot through a crowded penalty area and past Harry Stapley, after United had failed to adequately clear the umpteenth soft free kick that they had conceded in their own half.
After the equaliser, the U's were forced to absorb a fair amount of pressure, with YMCA wasting a couple of very decent opportunities, but the visitors then suddenly broke away to score a superb second goal three minutes before the interval, Parris embarking on a strong run from well inside his own half, exchanging passes with Paine, and holding off his marker, before slotting past the onrushing keeper for a memorable strike.
A cautious start to the second period almost saw United concede another equaliser, a YMCA header flashing just wide of Stapley's left hand post, while Nelson Whyman missed a great chance at the other end, good work by Paine setting up the midfielder for a close range effort that the home keeper saved well. The woodwork then came to United's rescue for a second time, as a change in formation really started to stretch the U's defensively.
United's cause wasn't helped by a hamstring injury that forced skipper Scott West to limp off in the sixty-second minute, with Leo Torr coming off the bench to link up with Callum McDonald. The new pairing coped well though, and within ten minutes, United had established a two goal lead on the counter-attack, full back Charlie Elgar breaking down the right and crossing for Paine to volley home.
Just three minutes later, it was effectively game over, the influential Parris turning provider with a run to the byeline and a low cross that defender Lewis Scally diverted into his own net to put the U's three goals clear. A stunning late save from a free kick by Stapley denied YMCA any thoughts of an unlikely comeback, allowing United to close out the win with relative comfort, and to proudly take their place at the head of the league.
The weekend brings a return to cup action, when Seaford Town visit the Pilot Field for a County Cup second round tie.
United starting line-up: 1 Harry Stapley, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Scott West (c), 5 Callum McDonald, 6 Phil Lee, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Nelson Whyman, 9 Lee Paine, 10 Charlie Sellens, 11 Scott Ellis.
Subs: 12 Kasey Smith (for Ellis 85), 14 Leo Torr (for West 62), GK George Legg (for Stapley 89).
Goals: Aaron Parris 16, 42, Lee Paine 72, Lewis Scally og 75.
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Bognor Regis Town Youth (0) 1 - 3 (0) Hastings United Youth
28/9/11 - United bounced back from the FA Youth Cup exit at Thamesmead last week, returning from their longest away league visit of the season with all three points from Bognor's Nyewood Lane. Roadworks at Little Common ensured that the journey got off to a slow start, but the 130 mile round trip proved to be worthwhile for the U's and their small group of ever willing supporters.
The game started evenly enough, with little more than an occasional half chance at either end, and although they forced a number of corners in the first half, United seemed to lack the killer instinct required to take advantage. The strength and pace of lone striker Scott Ellis served the visitors well, and his link play with right winger Aaron Parris was particularly effective in keeping the Bognor defence stretched.
The U's were not at their sharpest in central midfield however, conceding possession too cheaply, one such example leading to the best chance of the opening period, a long ball upfield sending a home striker clean through, but keeper Harry Stapley was bravely off his line to save at the forward's feet. At the other end, Charlie Bachellier's break down the left wing created an opportunity for Parris, only for the United man to be denied, not by the Bognor keeper, but by the referee, whose half time whistle sounded just as he was about to shoot.
The home side took the game to United after the interval, but were again struggling to create any clearcut chances, at least until the fifty-third minute, when the U's midfield failed to clear a loose ball outside their area, which ran kindly for James Kilhams to calmly lob Stapley and give the Rocks the lead.
The U's were soon back on level terms though, just six minutes later in fact, Bachellier's left wing cross finding Ellis (pictured right) in the centre for a simple finish. Suddenly, the visitors began to assume complete control, and they had to wait barely ten minutes more to take the lead themselves, Ellis chasing onto a long ball out of defence, heading past the onrushing keeper and into the back of the unguarded net.
Only a goalline clearance then denied Ellis a hat-trick, but United would not be kept at bay for long, putting the contest out of Bognor's reach with a third goal in the seventy-fifth minute, substitute Kasey Smith crossing for Bachellier to fire a first time effort beyond Daniel Neale.
With the points apparently secure, the U's saw out the remaining quarter of an hour without further alarm, to record their second league win, achieved on the back of another fine defensive display, in which Scott West and Callum McDonald once again showed great promise in their new partnership at the heart of the back four, in front of the fast improving Stapley in goal. Up front, Parris and Bachellier continue to look dangerous down the flanks, Ellis is relishing his lone striker role, and the long throws of full back Charlie Elgar look to be a potent attacking weapon.
In eight days time, United face another lengthy journey into West Sussex, as they travel to Gorings Mead to take on unbeaten Horsham YMCA.
United starting line-up: 1 Harry Stapley, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Scott West (c), 5 Callum McDonald, 6 Nelson Whyman, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Charlie Bachellier, 9 Phil Lee, 10 Charlie Sellens, 11 Scott Ellis.
Subs: 12 Kasey Smith (for Sellens 67), 14 Leo Torr (for Bachellier 86).
Goals: Scott Ellis 59, 70, Charlie Bachellier 75.
Booked: Nelson Whyman, Scott West, Charlie Bachellier.
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Thamesmead Town Youth (2) 3 - 2 (0) Hastings United Youth
22/9/11 - United's hopes of a run in the FA Youth Cup were extinguished in south-east London this evening, despite a valiant late comeback that almost saw them cancel out a three goal deficit against Thamesmead Town at a Bayliss Avenue ground currently resembling a building site.
The home side made their intentions clear as the game got underway, every ball seemingly played to their lightning quick right winger, who frequently left the U's far from sluggish full back Rickkie Rand in his wake. Even so, United enjoyed plenty of possession in the early stages, although they failed to create a decent goalscoring attempt untill the tenth minute, when striker Lee Paine's shot hit the crossbar.
Thamesmead offered little as an attacking force either, simply continuing to seek out their right winger at every opportunity, but from a thirteenth minute corner, some slack defending from United allowed the tall Thamesmead centre half to rise unchallenged and head past Harry Stapley, giving the hosts a one goal lead.
United went on to match their opponents chance for chance for a good twenty minutes, although Stapley was being generally well protected by his back four. In the thirty-second minute however, United faced another corner, from which Rand missed the chance to clear, with the ball being driven back past the helpless Stapley and into the roof of the net to double Thamesmead's advantage. Two basic errors from set pieces had given United a mountain to climb, and they were left with it all to do in the second half.
At the interval, Charlie Sellens was replaced in midfield by Nelson Whyman (pictured right), who immediately added a bit more aggression in the centre of the pitch, something which had been missing during the opening period. As a consequence, United began to dominate the game, and just past the hour mark, they were desperately unlucky once again, as the woodwork came to Thamesmead's rescue for a second time, Phil Lee striking the bar from eighteen yards.
Hastings then contrived to gift Mead a third goal, which seemed to all but kill off the tie. A United free kick was intercepted in midfield, and a good run into the area resulted in a shot, which was initially blocked, but was followed up and netted to extend the lead to three. An uphill struggle had got even steeper for the U's, and disappointment was etched across the faces of the United players, who had been on top for most of the half, yet still found themselves further behind.
They stuck to their gameplan though, and mounted a concerted effort to get back into the game, remainiing in the ascendency throughout the closing stages. With six minutes left, they were thrown a lifeline, when a mishit shot by Whyman dribbled towards goal for what looked like being a comfortable save, but the ball somehow evaded the home keeper, sneaking under his body and into the net.
The goal suddenly changed the whole complexion of the game, and just three minutes later, Scott West (pictured left) controlled a clearance on the halfway line, ran into Thamesmead's half, and played a one-two with Scott Ellis, before unleashing a thirty yard screamer into the top corner that gave the keeper no chance. it was game on, and with a fair few minutes of injury time to be played, United could smell an unlikely fightback.
Unfortunately, the U's were unable to find a third goal to force extra time, and as the final whistle blew, all they could do was reflect on the three cheap goals that they had conceded, which had ultimately cost them dear. They did again show an improvement from previous games though, noteably their defensive performance, which resulted in Stapley having just a solitary save to make all game.
The new centre back pairing of West and Callum McDonald looked to have an excellent understanding, while right back Charlie Elgar also put in a good performance, and Rand on the opposite flank did well to keep that nippy winger in check. Whyman proved himself plenty capable of stepping into the centre of midfield as well, making a strong claim for a start in the next game, which is away to Bognor next Wednesday.
United starting line-up: 1 Harry Stapley, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Callum McDonald, 5 Scott West (c), 6 Phil Lee, 7 Scott Ellis, 8 Charlie Bachellier, 9 Lee Paine, 10 Charlie Sellens, 11 Aaron Parris.
Subs: 12 Nelson Whyman (for Sellens H.T.), 14 Leo Torr (for McDonald 77), 15 Kasey Smith (for Parris 78).
Goals: Nelson Whyman 84, Scott West 87.
Booked: Charlie Bachellier.
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Hastings United Youth (4) 5 - 4 (1) Eastbourne Town Youth
12/9/11 - Four days after breaking their duck for the season, with an FA Youth Cup win at home to Tonbridge, the U's collected their first league win of the campaign, but only after an extraordinary nine goal thriller against Eastbourne Town at the Pilot Field this evening, that cliché about a game of two halves never seeming more appropriate.
United boss Terry Avann was forced into making a number of changes to his squad, not least due to the work commitments of key midfielder Callum McDonald, and the fractured ankle and ligament damage suffered by left winger Jack Panther in the Tonbridge game. Charlie Bachellier earned a recall, while striker Lee Paine started for the first time this season, and certainly appeared keen to make up for lost time.
The U's stuck to their gameplan right from the start, and came flying out of the blocks with a goal inside three minutes, Paine (pictured right) somehow managing to dig the ball out of his feet and hit a shot over the head of Eastbourne keeper Connor Byrne and into the net via the underside of the crossbar. Just six minutes later, Scott West's raking forty yard pass out of defence picked out the striker in the area, Paine calmly heading the ball over the onrushing Byrne to double the lead.
United were playing some sublime football, and the visitors were looking decidedly shellshocked, with Harry Stapley in the home goal having precious little to do. Scott Ellis was having a good game in an unfamiliar right wing role, and in the twenty-third minute, his pacey run into the area drew a desperate and illegal challenge from Dexter Coleman, giving Aaron Parris the chance to slot home his second penalty of the season.
The one-way traffic continued, and barely sixty seconds after the spot kick, Bachelliler worked hard to regain possession, before playing in Paine to complete a twenty-one minute hat-trick and make it 4-0 to United.
The visitors at last showed themselves to be up for the contest, and Lewis McFarlane had already missed one good chance, when he latched onto a long punt downfield by Byrne, outrunning the retreating West and firing past Stapley to grab Eastbourne a lifeline just ahead of the interval, while a second goal soon followed as Eastbourne made a terrific first to the second period. Max Hollobone the player on target.
United then lost Stapley, injured in an accidental collision and unable to conitinue, beimg replaced by George Legg. It made little difference to the pattern of play though, with Town continuing to press, having a goal rightly ruled out for offside, before Shane Fox set up an even more nervy finish by reducing the deficit to just a single goal.
The final whistle could not come quickly enough for U's supporters, but there was still drama to be played out at both ends. First, a long throw by Charlie Elgar caught Byrne flapping, the keeper failing to gather and only helping the ball on its way towards goal, where Phil Lee (pictured left) followed in to at last give United some breathing space.
Still there was time for one last strike for the visitors, as stoppage time dragged on interminably, a Byrne clearance running through for substitute Josh Stonell to beat Legg, but a topsy-turvy encounter then finally drew to a halt, with United's outstanding first half display just about enough to outlast their opponents and claim the three points. And while there is clearly much to work on in training, the U's have come a mighty long way since their heavy opening day defeat, having proved to themselves that they are capable of competing at the higher level.
Next week, United are back on the FA Youth Cup trail when they visit Thamesmead Town on Thursday evening.
United starting line-up: 1 Harry Stapley, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Billy Blackford, 5 Scott West (c), 6 Phil Lee, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Charlie Sellens, 9 Scott Ellis, 10 Lee Paine, 11 Charlie Bachellier.
Subs: 12 Nelson Whyman (for Sellens 78), 14 Kasey Smith, 15 Leo Torr, GK George Legg (for Stapley 63).
Goals: Lee Paine 3, 9, 24, Aaron Parris 23, Phil Lee 90+2.
Booked: Lee Paine, Aaron Parris.
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Hastings United Youth (2) 3 - 2 (1) Tonbridge Angels Youth
8/9/11 - After suffering heavy defeats in their opening two league fixtures of the season, it proved to be third time lucky for United's youngsters, as they got their 2011/12 campaign up and running with an FA Youth Cup preliminary round victory at home to near neighbours Tonbridge this evening.
Not that luck had anything to do with the win, with the U's certainly playing their part in a hugely entertaining contest, in which they stormed into a two goal first half lead, only to let Angels back into the game, before captain Scott West sealed a first qualifying round trip to Thamesmead Town by netting the winner twelve minutes from time. United's celebrations were dampened by a serious injury to recently signed left winger Jack Panther, who was stretchered off in the second half and taken to hospital with what was feared to be a broken ankle.
The two teams appeared to size each other up during a cagey opening twenty minutes, but once Ryan Chapman had wasted a good chance to give the visitors the lead, the game started to develop an end-to-end feel, with Scott Ellis and Aaron Parris both going close for the U's, while debutant keeper Harry Stapley produced two impressive blocks to deny Joe Walker at the other end.
United then took the lead in the thirty-first minute, as right back Charlie Elgar (pictured right) passed up the opportunity to deliver one of his trademark long throws, instead receiving a shorter effort back from Phil Lee, and drilling a superb low shot from twenty yards that beat Tonbridge keeper Bradley Collins at his near post.
Barely ninety seconds later, the U's doubled their advantage, Parris exchanging passes with Ellis and skipping past a trio of challenges in a run across the edge of the area, before teeing up the unmarked Panther for a simple finish, his first goal since joining the Club from Eastbourne Borough, for whom he he scored the winning goal that broke United hearts in last season's final day County League title decider at Priory Lane.
From a position of relative comfort though, United suddenly switched off and started to leave gaps at the back, Walker again forcing Stapley into action, as did Jack Leighton in the closing moments of the half. By that point though, Tonbridge were already back in the contest, Cameron Milham's slide rule through ball releasing Walker, with Stapley for once unable to come to his defenders' rescue.
The Angels continued to look menacing after the interval, with Milham firing against the crossbar from just outside the area, before the midfielder took full advantage of an error by Charlie Sellens, embarking on a jinking run that saw him beat any number of would-be tacklers, and rounding the helpless Stapley, before tapping into an empty net for a wonder goal to level the scores in the fifty-sixth minute.
Sellens was soon replaced by Nelson Whyman, while Panther's misfortune gave the combative Charlie Bachellier a chance to impress from the bench as well, but the visitors were still in the ascendancy, and should have completed their fightback when Walker latched onto a long ball and evaded Stapley in the area, only to blaze over an inviting target.
United soon made Tonbridge pay, Parris winning a free kick on the left, which he took himself, sending over a deep cross that initially seemed to be drifting harmlessly out of play. But Lee suddenly appeared beyond the far post to head the ball back across the face of goal, where it hit the inside of the post, before West (pictured left) thumped home the rebound.
Lee Paine replaced the tiring Ellis for the final ten minutes, and almost set up Whyman for a clinching fourth, while a rare moment of indecision by Stapley presented Leighton with a chance to snatch a late equaliser, but Billy Blackford recovered lost ground to effect a fine clearance, repeating the trick deep in added time to prevent Walker from running onto another long punt downfield.
After six nervy minutes of stoppage time, referee Barry Myers eventually signalled an end to proceedings, with United and new boss Terry Avann able to savour a first victory of the season, and to start looking forward to the journey to north Kent in a fortnight's time. Before that though, league action resumes at home to Eastbourne Town next Monday evening.
United starting line-up: 1 Harry Stapley, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Scott West (c), 5 Billy Blackford, 6 Callum McDonald, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Phil Lee, 9 Scott Ellis, 10 Charlie Sellens, 11 Jack Panther.
Subs: 12 Nelson Whyman (for Sellens 61), 15 Lee Paine (for Ellis 80), 16 Charlie Bachellier (for Panther 72), 17 Kasey Smith, GK George Legg.
Goals: Charlie Elgar 31, Jack Panther 33, Scott West 78.
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Whitehawk Youth (4) 6 - 2 (2) Hastings United Youth
31/8/11 - Another tough test awaited United's Under 18s this evening, with a visit to Whitehawk for their first away fixture in the Ryman Youth League. The Hawks had narrowly missed out on a draw against highly rated Lewes the previous week, conceding in the eighty-ninth minute to lose by the odd goal in nine, so U's boss Terry Avann was under no illusions about the task that already lay ahead of his side, even before an arduously long journey to the Enclosed Ground ruined their pre-match preparations, after a hard week of training since the opening day defeat to Worthing.
For the second game running, United got off to a terrible start, gifting Whitehawk a second minute advantage, when right back Charlie Elgar was caught out by the pace of winger Matt Daniel, who skipped past him and fired past Joe Winchester, making his first appearance in goal for the U's. It wasn't exactly the start that United had been hoping for, and it got worse still seven minutes later, when a deep cross from the right found its way to Elgar on the far edge of the penalty area, only for Tommy Kirwan to rob him of possession and beat Winchester for the second time.
It was already looking like being a long night for the visitors, but they made a determined effort to get straight back into the contest, and just a couple of minutes later, debutant Jack Panther made a driving run across the Whitehawk area and was promptly upended for penalty, which was calmly tucked away by the ever reliable Aaron Parris (pictured right).
A manic opening eleven minutes augured well for a hugely entertaining game, and so it continued, although the home side always seemed to have the slight edge. United's hard work on the training ground was entirely evident mind you, and it took a moment off ill-fortune for Whitehawk to restore their two goal lead, the U's conceding a clumsy free kick, with Fred Taylor's effort taking a deflection off the wall, catching Winchester out of position, and going in off the far post.
That nicely summed up United's luck, but they dug in once again and continued to play some good passing football, with Scott West going close from a Parris corner, Callum McDonald hitting a shot inches wide, and Panther forcing a good save from the Hawks' keeper. On the half hour mark, the U's attacking efforts were finally rewarded, when McDonald intercepted a wayward pass and sent Scott Ellis (pictured below) clean through to round the keeper and get United back into the game.
An equaliser before half time could so easily have seen the U's go on and win the game, but in the thirty-eighth minute, it was the Hawks that struck another painful blow, when Alex Wilson's speculative thirty yard shot caught Winchester by surprise and dipped just under the crossbar to make it 4-2 to the hosts and, in spite of their best efforts, the U's were unable to pull another goal back before the interval.
Straight from the restart, Whitehawk went for the United jugular, and a positioning error by centre half Leo Torr allowed Daniel through to increase the lead yet further. Back came the U's though, a strong midfield performance seeing them create a number of decent chances, with the Hawks resorting to long ball tactics in an occasionally desperate effort to clear the danger. McDonald was especially prominent in a good spell for the visitors, and it was a blow when he was forced to withdraw due to illness in the fifty-sixth minute, Nelson Whyman taking his place.
Parris and Panther were linking up well with with Elgar and Rickkie Rand respectively down the flanks, while Ellis went agonisingly close to doubling his personal tally, when his header the ball looped over the keeper and struck the inside of the far post, with nobody on hand to turn in the rebound.
Lee Paine replaced Torr, as Avann switched to a more attacking 4-4-2 formation, with Phil Lee dropping back into defence, but with the U's pressing high up the pitch, they were susceptible to the counter-attack, Whitehawk duly breaking away to go four goals clear courtesy of Taylor's second of the game. Coming entirely against the run of play though, it gave the scoreline a very flattering look, but despite dominating the remainder of the contest, with Elgar's long throws causing no end of problems, United were unable to find the back of the net themselves.
The general consensus was that defeat by a single goal might even have been an unfair reflection on the ninety minutes as a whole, but United had simply been undone by a series of careless mistakes, with Winchester seldom called into action other than to pick the ball out of the net. Despite the result though, the mood in the changing room was much improved from the previous games, with the players knowing that some better finishing, and a little more luck on the night, would have resulted in a more realistic scoreline.
Avann was certainly able to take plenty of positives from the performances, both individually and as a team. Charlie Sellens came through his first full game since last season, and did not look out of place. New signing Panther looked a valuable addition to the squad, and will doubtless pose a threat to defences this season, and the side worked hard throughout the contest, keeping the ball well and, a few lapses apart, reacting quickly when play broke down. More work will be required before United become the finished article of course, but a first league point, or even a first win at the higher level, will surely not evade them for too much longer.
It will definitely have to wait for a couple of weeks however, as United's next test will come in the preliminary round of the FA Youth Cup next Thursday, when East Division side Tonbridge Angels visit the Pilot Field.
United starting line-up: 1 Joe Winchester, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Scott West (c), 5 Leo Torr, 6 Callum McDonald, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Charlie Sellens, 9 Scott Ellis, 10 Phil Lee, 11 Jack Panther.
Subs: 12 Lee Paine (for Torr 65), 14 Nelson Whyman (for McDonald 56), 15 Kasey Smith (for Ellis 76), GK George Legg.
Goals: Aaron Parris pen 11, Scott Ellis 30.
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Hastings United Youth (0) 0 - 5 (4) Worthing Youth
22/8/11 - United's Under 18s started a new era in the Ryman Youth League this evening, and along with it, gained their first taste of what they can expect at the higher level as they hosted their Worthing counterparts.
A crowd of fifty-eight turned up to watch the new look U's get off to a poor start. Just five minutes into the game, a pass picked out a suspiciously offside looking Zach Gray, who was allowed to play on and score from the edge of the area. Despite going a goal down so early, the U's rallied and created a few chances of their own over the course of the next fifteen minutes, but failed to make the most of them, and were subsequently made to pay a heavy price.
On eighteen minutes, a goal kick put United on the back foot, when the attempted clearance was won easily by the Worthing midfield. The ball was headed back towards the Hastings back four, league debutant Billy Blackford failed to clear the danger, and Jamie Ampleford's powerful shot left U's keeper George Legg stranded.
United refused to let the deficit get to them, and they tried to carve out chances, but were guilty of being careless with the ball, overhitting the final pass and giving away possession too cheaply, and reacting too slowly to regain the ball when they lost it. This all allowed Worthing to get the ball forward on numerous occasions and to get into some good shooting positions, although a mixture of solid defending and poor finishing kept the scoreline the same until the thirty-eighth minute, when a poor goal kick by Legg fell to Ampleford, who instantly fired a twenty-five yard shot back past him to make it three.
The U's looked understandably shocked, as they had played reasonably well during the opening forty minutes, and the one-sided scoreline was scarcely a fair reflection on the balance of play. yet the game was effectively over just a couple of minutes later, as another fierce shot from Ampleford found it's way under Legg and into the back of the net to give the Worthing striker a hat-trick. Good as the strike was, United's new custodian probably ought to have stopped it, the ball squeezing under him and over the line.
A brighter start to the second half saw United retain possession much better, and interval substitute Charlie Sellens added more of a threat from central midfield. However, on fifty-one minutes, Legg was caught in two minds when deciding where to play the ball, Thomas McLeod dispossessing him and rubbing salt into the U's already gaping wounds.
Knowing that the game was won, Worthing backed off a little, and United were able to relax a bit more, beginning to pass the ball around more positively, and achieving a number of breaks on goal, albeit to no avail. Scott Ellis, playing as a lone striker, ran himself into the ground, but suffered from a distinct lack of support from the midfield, which meant that his hard work went to waste. On sixty-four minutes, Callum McDonald went as close as anyone in a United shirt to a goal, when his ferocious shot flew narrowly over the bar.
Despite enjoying a lot more possession in the second period, United simply lacked the final killer touch that would get them a deserved consolation goal. And their cause wasn't helped when skipper Scott West had to go off with cramp in the seventy-second minute, with Sellens then taking a knock that forced him to retire early, leaving the home side with only ten men for the final quarter of an hour.
Legg went on to redeem himself with some fine saves, preventing any further damage before the final whistle, but there was no doubt that United had endured a baptism of fire in their first game in the Ryman set-up, but they at least know what they will have to work on in training to ensure that they are more competitive in future games, starting with a trip to Whitehawk next Wednesday evening.
United starting line-up: 1 George Legg, 2 Charlie Elgar, 3 Rickkie Rand, 4 Scott West (c), 5 Billy Blackford, 6 Callum McDonald, 7 Aaron Parris, 8 Phil Lee, 9 Scott Ellis, 10 Nelson Whyman, 11 Charlie Bachellier.
Subs: 12 Charlie Sellens (for Whyman H.T.), 14 Kasey Smith (for West 72), 15 Tom Robins, 16 Harry Stapley, 17 Leo Torr (for Blackford H.T.).
Booked: Phil Lee, Leo Torr.