Saturday, October 22, 2011
An eighty-ninth minute Zac Attwood free kick, his second goal in three appearances since returning to the Club on a dual registration basis from Welling United, rescued United's FA Trophy campaign in the nick of time at The Orchard today.
The U's were trailing, and probably underservedly so, to Wayne O'Sulliavan's goal just past the hour mark, and looked to be on the verge of yet another early exit from yet another FA competitiion, but Attwood's last gasp strike earned United a Pilot Field replay on Tuesday and a second chance to take care of business against a side struggling near the foot of the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One Central, a level below the U's own current status.
Having blooded a few youngsters in the midweek League Cup tie at Sittingbourne, boss Jason Hopkinson was able to call upon midfielder Jamie Crellin, who missed the visit to Central Park through suspension, and the injury free Ben Billings, but to offset their return, Kenny Pogue was unavailable, Sean Ray on a temporary sabbatical, and Fred Foreman and George Jones departed for good. That Arron Hopkinson was able to once again travel down from Cardiff at least allowed United to name three outfield substitutes, with Matt Armstrong-Ford losing out to Lloyd Anderson in the battle for the number one shirt.
United had marginally the better of the first half, Lee Carey missing their best chance after failing to make the most of good work down the left by Attwood, while Billings fired narrowly wide when well placed. At the other end, Anderson was largely untroubled, although the U's looked as insecure as ever at the back.
Carey's free kick finally forced Bedfont keeper Gary Ross into action early in the second period, and Billings fired another decent effort into the crowd, before the home side took the lead. O'Sullivan's initial shot was well blocked by Anderson, but he reacted quickly to cleverly clip the rebound over the U's custodian.
Lee Paine was promptly introduced for full back Ross Sutton, as United bolstered their attacking ranks for what they hoped would be a big finish, but their efforts looked like being in vain, until the marauding Hopkinson was felled by Craig Vernon, giving Attwood his moment to shine.
The obvious delight at securing a draw should be tempered by the knowledge that United had no more than matched a side with only two wins in twelve league matches this season, but parity was a fair enough reflection of the ninety minutes as a whole. The aftermath that saw Hopkinson leave his post contributed to the sense of late drama, but in truth, this was a low key encounter that can only be improved upon as a spectacle when the teams reconvene on the south coast in three days' time.
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| Bedfont Town | (0) 1 | - | 1 (0) | Hastings United |
| O'Sullivan 62 | Attwood 89 |
| Match facts | Efforts on target | Efforts off target | Free kicks conceded | Corners won | Offsides against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedfont Town | 4 | 4 | 17 | 3 | 8 |
| Hastings United | 6 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 0 |
| Bedfont Town | Hastings United (4-4-2) | ||||||
| 1 Gary Ross | 1 Lloyd Anderson  |
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| 2 Dwain Williams |
2 Jack Dixon | ||||||
| 3 Dan Carter | 3 Ross Sutton | ||||||
| 4 Mark Gallagher | 4 Jamie Crellin | ||||||
| 5 Craig Vernon | 5 Scott Manning | ||||||
| 6 Tommy Brewer | 6 Josh Jirbandey (c) | ||||||
| 7 Jon-Barrie Bates | 7 Jamal Fenelon | ||||||
| 8 Tommy Williams (c) | 8 Ryan Thomson | ||||||
| 9 Rishi Nankani | 9 Zac Attwood |
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| 10 Sol Pinnock | 10 Lee Carey | ||||||
| 11 Wayne O'Sullivan | 11 Ben Billings | ||||||
| Substitutes | |||||||
| 12 Carl Thomas | 12 Dan Bolwell | ||||||
| 14 Matt O'Brien | 14 Arron Hopkinson (for Crellin 55) | ||||||
| 15 Ryan Butt | 15 Lee Paine (for Sutton 70) | ||||||
| 16 Tyron Sealey | GK Matt Armstrong-Ford | ||||||
Attendance: 79
Referee: Chris Phillips (Carshalton Beeches)
Assistants: Peter Crichlow & Peter Jones