Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Matt Hall scored his first goal for the Club, and United's first goal of the season, a disputed twenty-third minute penalty that set the U's on their way to a deserved victory away to newly promoted East Thurrock United at Rookery Hill this evening.

Jason Hopkinson made four changes to the side that had lost the season opener against Wingate & Finchley on Saturday, and he was rewarded with fine performances from son Arron, and from debutant Jamie Crellin in particular, as the U's collected a slightly surprising, but certainly very welcome three points.

Hall calmly stepped up to convert from the spot, after referee Stephen Rubery adjudged Kenny Pogue to have been upended just inside the area, when there appeared to have been precious little contact from defender Marc Gorbell, who talked his way into a caution for remonstrating with both the official and his opponent.

Having already been booked himself for a foul towards the end of the first half, the former Leyton Orient mdfielder was then desperately fortunate to escape a red card ten minutes into the second period, when a poor challenge on home skipper Ben Wood earned him nothing more than a stern word and a final warning.

Hall continued to drive the U's forward at every counter-attacking opportunity, and also went on to play a part in United's decisive second goal in the first minute of stoppage time, a slide rule pass finding Dan Bolwell in acres of space in the Rocks' penalty area, with Pogue on hand to apply a simple finish from the full back's low cross.

Ben Billings had earlier twice gone close to doubling the visitors' advantage, but on each occasion, keeper Richard Wray did well to deny him, while Hall dragged a twenty yard effort narrowly wide in the closing stages, but few and far between as United's opportunites may have been, they looked much the more accomplished side over the course of the ninety minutes, with Crellin providing a masterclass in his defensive midfield role, and Sean Ray and Josh Jirbandey looking back to their solid best just behind him.

As the last line of defence, Lloyd Anderson also enjoyed a good evening, pulling off a couple of outstanding saves to keep the hosts at bay and preserve his first clean sheet in United colours. Anderson's flying stops to deny Kye Ruel and Greg Cohen in the closing stages of either half will have done wonders for his confidence, although the home side contributed to their own downfall with some woeful finishing as well. Only striker Neil Richmond will know how he managed to miss an open goal before the interval, while substitute Brad Warner fired a shot wide after racing clear of the defence shortly after Pogue seemed to have killed the game off.

Having dominated the opening quarter of an hour, albeit without creating any clearcut chances, the U's had a let-off when Ruel headed home from Michael Ramkin's crossfield pass, only for an offside flag to cut short East Thurrock celebrations.

Playing on the right flank, Ruel was certainly the hosts' most dangerous outlet all evening, with Bolwell at times struggling to contain him, while Cohen experienced similar success on the opposite wing in his duel with Scott Manning. Fortunately for the U's though, a series of teasing crosses came to nothing, with one time United transfer target Reiss Gilbey mightily close to connecting with one such delivery from Cohen.

But on the whole, Hopkinson will surely have been delighted with his side's all-round display, and also with their application of the passing game that the manager is so clearly seeking to implement, highlighted by a general absence of the type of suicidal tendencies that have seen them play themselves into trouble at the back in previous weeks. The win took United up to tenth place in the fledgling league table, level on points and goal difference with their next opponents, Bury Town, whom they visit on Saturday.

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East Thurrock United (4-5-1)							Hastings United (4-5-1)
1 Richard Wray							1 Lloyd Anderson
2 Ryan Sammons							2 Scott Manning
3 Tom Stephen							3 Dan Bolwell
4 Simon Peddie							4 Jamie Crellin
5 Marc Gorbell							5 Sean Ray (c)
6 Ben Wood (c)							6 Josh Jirbandey
7 Kye Ruel							7 Arron Hopkinson
8 Reiss Gilbey							8 Matt Hall
9 Neil Richmond							9 Kenny Pogue
10 Michael Ramkin							10 Jack Wilder
11 Greg Cohen							11 Ben Billings
Substitutes
12 Kayan Kalipha (for Richmond 69)							12 Wes Tate  (for Hopkinson 85)
14 Lewis Scott (for Gorbell 85)							14 Fred Foreman (for Wilder 69)
15 Brad Warner (for Ramkin 70)							15 Callum McDonald
16 George Chuckawuma							16 Rickkie Rand
GK Jamie Riley

Attendance: 139

Referee: Stephen Rubery

Assistants: Bradley Savage & James Mason