Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Jack Dixon scored his first goal of the season, and Zac Attwood grabbed the extra time winner, as United came from behind to squeeze past County League opponents Lancing in the second round of the Sussex Senior Cup at the Pilot Field this evening.

But the visitors deserve enormous credit for a highly accomplished and effective display, which for a while threatened to reward them with an upset victory, after Graham Martin's header gave them the lead a couple of minutes before the interval.

Dixon had just been switched from his usual right back berth to an attacking midfield role when he exchanged passes with Lee Carey and calmly steered a low shot past keeper Matt Evans in the sixty-third minute.

But the equalliser still failed to inspire United to greater things, and it wasn't until the second period of extra time that the hosts earned a third round trip to Crawley Down. Kenny Pogue's stinging drive was well saved by Evans, but he could only divert the ball onto the underside of the crossbar, and Attwood reacted quickest to nod home the rebound.

On balance, it was a goal that United just about deserved, but denied the services of on loan striker Jordan Woodley, the home side struggled to impose themselves on the contest throughout, especially in the first half, when Evans was only once called into serious action, diving to his left to turn away a Carey free kick, awarded for a foul on Pogue by Lee Denyer, who was perhaps slighhtly fortunate to receive only a yellow card for his troubles.

Matt Armstrong-Ford was hardly overworked either, but he had already kept out one Martin header, before the midfielder found space in the area to meet Dan Turner's right wing cross, and did enough to force the ball over the line, despite the U's keeper's best efforts to keep it out.

The introduction of Aaron Parris for Dan Bolwell at the interval appeared to give United a more cohesive look going forward, the youngster volleying narrowly wide from Armstrong-Ford's long clearance, while Dixon saw one twenty yard effort pushed away by Evans, only to make no mistake from his next opportunity from just inside the area.

Dixon then flashed another shot just wide, debutant full back Matt Whitehead went close with a dipping volley, and Josh Jirbandey glanced a header past the upright, as United pressed in vain for a second goal within the ninety minutes. And any hopes that Lancing might fade in extra time were soon quashed, as the visitors almost took the lead once again when Whitehead sliced a Wayne Joseph free kick inches over his own crossbar.

The former Bognor defender's next intervention was at the right end though, Pogue unable to convert his excellent cross, but Attwood eventually spared United's blushes, and gave new manager Sean Ray, who tonight took a watching brief and gave Scott Manning a start in his place, a second win since formally taking charge of First Team affairs, with the U's extending their current winning streak to four matches, the first time in virtually two years that they have managed that kind of run.

The weekend will provide a much sterner test of United's form and credentials however, but also a chance to avenge their FA Cup exit to Cray earlier in the season, when the Kent side visit the south coast again for a return to league action.

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Hastings United (4-3-3)							Lancing (4-5-1)
1 Matt Armstrong-Ford							1 Matt Evans
2 Jack Dixon							2 Dan Taylor
3 Matt Whitehead							3 Sam O'Regan
4 Lee Carey							4 David Sharman (c)
5 Scott Manning							5 Lee Denyer
6 Josh Jirbandey (c)							6 Adam Hunt
7 Ryan Thomson							7 Titus Paterson
8 Jamie Crellin							8 Jack Hayward
9 Kenny Pogue							9 Darren Boswell
10 Zac Attwood							10 Graham Martin
11 Dan Bolwell							11 Dan Turner
Substitutes
12 Ross Sutton  (for Thomson 57)							12 Shaheen Sadough (for Paterson 78)
14 Scott West							14 Wayne Joseph (for Boswell 69)
15 Lee Paine (for Pogue 119)							15 Ben Coles  (for Hayward 71)
16 Aaron Parris (for Bolwell H.T.)
GK Harry Stapley

Attendance: 148

Referee: Graham Kane (Ditchling)

Assistants: Mark Tasker (Lewes) & Jonathan Walker (Stone Cross)

Fourth Official: Joe Watson (Eastbourne)