Hastings United v Canvey Island - Saturday 14th March 2009

Pre Match Report

I’m Roger Sinden here at the Pilot Field where today Hastings United entertain Canvey Island

With no goals and only one point from their last four games, Hastings United sank into the relegation zone after last Saturday’s solitary goal defeat at Billericay. The home side were good value for their win and apart from their early opening goals threatened to take United apart in a storming opening spell. To compound the disappointment leading goal scorer Frankie Sawyer was taken to hospital after his injury just before half time and must sit out the next few matches from the sidelines.

Team options are limited for manager Tony Dolby as Nathan Russell is still unavailable through his hamstring injury, Danny Spice is suspended, Jack Franklin was also taken to hospital after the Billericay match but Antony Gonnella appears to have resolved his differences with Dolby. Hastings have secured the services of striker Charley Side in the quest for goals against a Canvey side who convincingly beat Hastings by five goals to two earlier in the season. Coincidentally, Canvey visited Billericay last Tuesday and convincingly won by 4-2, the scene of United’s defeat just three days earlier.

Off the field Hastings are supporting comic relief by offering free admission to accompanied juniors this afternoon and there will be a collection on behalf of comic relief and a penalty shoot out. With red noses in evidence this afternoon Hastings must ensure that they do not have matching red faces when the teams leave the field after a must win encounter this afternoon

Roger Sinden for SATURDAY SPORT the Pilot Field

Match Report

Hastings United (2 )  Canvey island (0  )

Goals for Hastings United are like London buses. You wait 456 minutes for one to come along and then two come along in a highly entertaining first half. Three well deserved points against a well placed Canvey side will put United in good heart for their next three matches on the road. Usually notoriously slow to start, Hastings made all of the running with debutant Charley Side moving well off the ball alongside Sam Adams. Gonnella set up Attwood with a defence splitting ball, but he shot wide and then Canvey defender Chris Moore’s wayward header put his own goalkeeper under pressure.

In a rare attack at the other end, Canvey’s Jay Curran hit the post and saw the ball rebound to safety. And then those two long awaited goals...............

The first on 37 minutes followed a succession of corners and sustained pressure resulting in Sam Adam’s near post flicked header, the provider Lee Carey. It was Carey himself on the stroke of halftime who doubled the lead. Attwood was sent tumbling on the edge of the area and Lee Carey’s free kick somehow penetrated the wall and crept in.

Canvey pushed forward in an end to end second half and Jay Curran wasted two good opportunities to put the visitors back in contention. United did register a third, a well placed effort by Adams from a curling centre by Side, but an alert linesman ruled that the ball had left the field of play and curled back in on its path to Adams.

None the less, three valuable points were gained, registering the first win under Manager Tony Dolby. It was a shame that illness prevented him from witnessing it

Roger Sinden at the Pilot Field for SATURDAY SPORT  where it finished
Hastings United ( 2 )  Canvey Island ( 0 )