Tuesday, September 13, 2011

A smartly taken goal by Fred Foreman just before half time, coupled with a solid defensive display, saw United to their first home win of the season this evening, by the narrowest of margins against a bemusingly poor Kingstonian side, not short of individual talent, but apparently struggling to gel as a team.

Not that the U's have been setting the world on fire this season either, but they had just enough about them to avenge March's agonising stoppage time defeat against K's. There was a decided lack of drama and controversy six months on mind you, in another low key encounter, played out before another meagre Pilot Field attendance.

Foreman's winning goal was a rare moment of quality on the night. Picked out by Jack Walder's exquisite pass into the area, the former Eastbourne Borough man, picked in the lone striker role ahead of Kenny Pogue for the first time, instantly steered a left foot shot across Kingstonian keeper Rob Tolfrey and into the far corner of the net.

Before the goal, the visitors had enjoyed a brief flurry of activity in and around the United area, Lloyd Anderson blocking an Allan Tait header on the goalline, before Tait's cushioned header teed up defender Tom Hutchinson for a close range finish, with United rescued by an offside flag, likewise moments later when Tait headed a Chris Page free kick onto the crossbar.

Arron Hopkinson twice missed chances to give the U's an early lead, but the first half was a generally quiet affair, with K's very seldom showing any cohesion going forward, allowing the imperious Josh Jirbandey, captain for the night in place of the suspended Sean Ray, and the no less impressive Scott Manning alongside him, to quietly dominate the usually lethal Bobby Traynor, who cast an often isolated figure up front for the visitors.

Ben Billings tested Tolfrey from long range shortly after the restart, before the contest became suddenly more feisty, as Lee Carey reacted furiously to Tait kicking the ball at him whilst he lay on the floor. Tait disappointingly threw himself to ground after the United midfielder did little more than barge into him from behind, and the usual melee ensued as a result, with cautions for Tait and Carey the only outcome.

Anderson gathered bravely at Traynor's feet, while Carey hooked wide of an open goal from twenty-five yards out, and Walder forced Tolfrey into action, but chances remained few and far between heading into the final minutes, when Traynor broke clear onto a long ball out of defence, only to shoot straight at Anderson.

The U's keeper also saved from substitute Sam Clayton, and fellow sub Adam Francis slliced wide of an inviting target, but United also looked lively on the counter-attack, especially once Pogue had joined the fray, the striker drilling one effort just wide after racing onto Jamie Crellin's punt downfield.

Victory continued the U's steady rise up the Premier Division table, now into fifteenth place, but left back Ross Sutton and right winger Hopkinson were forced off through injury, and United's thinning resources are looking stretched heading into the start of the FA Cup campaign at home to high flying Cray Wanderers on Saturday.

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Hastings United (4-5-1)							Kingstonian (4-5-1)
1 Lloyd Anderson							1 Rob Tolfrey
2 Jack Dixon							2 Chris Page
3 Ross Sutton							3 Neil Jenkins
4 Jamie Crellin							4 Lynvall Duncan
5 Scott Manning							5 Tom Hutchinson
6 Josh Jirbandey (c)							6 Simon Huckle
7 Arron Hopkinson							7 Michael Gordon
8 Jack Walder							8 Allan Tait
9 Fred Foreman							9 Bobby Traynor (c)
10 Lee Carey							10 Bashiru Alimi
11 Ben Billings							11 Dewayne Clarke
Substitutes
12 Kenny Pogue (for Foreman 67)							12 Gary MacDonald
14 Matt Hall (for Hopkinson 83)							14 Sam Clayton (for Gordon 71)
15 Dan Bolwell (for Sutton H.T.)							15 Ian Selley (for Tait 82)
16 Aaron Parris							16 Rocky Baptiste
							18 Adam Francis (for Jenkins 77)

Attendance: 263

Referee: Graham Kane (Ditchling)

Assistants: Andrew Colwell (Eastbourne) & Martyn Milligan (Eastbourne)