As big as the Lewes game probably more so, just hope the players produce a performance like they did at Lowestoft last year when we basically had to win to stay up.
Think set pieces could be vital for both sides and and hopefully one of the players who are not in the best of form will get a chance to get the fans singing their name tonight and get their spirits up for the last few games.
Carshalton are on form at the moment, taken 12 from 18 and three wins on the trot against three top half sides, so they'll be confident and I'm hoping they'll become complacent. However we can't afford to take anything for granted, but we can only believe! I still believe we can do this! Massive game!
I believe we can win if we can play with passion and commitment whilst maintaining discipline in the face of adversity - if we put in either the sort of lacklustre performance as we have on many occasions this year, or an undisciplined one that results in yet more sendings off and penalties conceded; then I think we will lose and likely subsequently lose our place in this division.
One thought of possible comfort: Wingate's form picked up markedly after they suffered their mass sendings off; can we bounce back similarly after Hendon?
Been supporting the U's 14 years now so I thought I'd join the forums, hi all :)
Absolutely gutted with tonight, had been looking forward to this game for weeks, thinking how good of a chance it was to win and put Carshalton probably all but down. Thought the fans were superb and expected the players to react to the support. The 10 minute spell where we bombarded Carshalton with crosses was all we really did positively. We knew early on they were lightning quick on the counter attack, yet I couldn't believe how we kept gifting them the ball in the middle of the park.
I'm hopeful we can still do it. We're better away from home so if caqn put in the type of performance we did at Lewes and Cray, you never know. Noticed Cray play Lewes on Tuesday and Wingate on the final day, 2 games which will be key at the bottom.
Noticed Sean Ray walked straight down the tunnel, and didn't seem to applaud the fans with the rest of the team. Has he had enough?
gutted about the result but the hastings support was outstanding....think you might be key on the last game of the season at home to kingstonian....true supporters...well done.
At least Thurrock lost, but we didn't do our goal difference any good tonight. I agree that the support must stay positive. We know lee had a shocking second half tonight, but the crowd turning on him isn't gonna help!
yeah glad to see thurrock los t could be any 2 from 6 for the drop though..recon carshalton will still go down with cray....with the mighty hastings escaping on the last game of the season with an89th minute winner from bradley goldberg.
I really feel so disappointed. I thought we responded well to the setback of Carshalton's early goal and at half time I thought things looked in the balance. I felt then that we would at least get a point; but once again we failed to cover breakaways when we overcommitted.; and we failed to score when we had half reasonable opportunities. The team got great vocal support; and they didn't totally collapse; but the ultimate scoreline didn't flatter Carshalton - they could and perhaps should have scored a couple more. from the four or five ocasions when they broke quickly.
All our fans were quality tonight and didn't pipe down in the first half. After the two imminent goals that sent us 1-3 down, all went quiet - and that takes a lot. I've been a regular at the PF for six years and haven't seen things go downhill this quickly quite some time. The first half was as usual, positive, but the second half. Well, I don't know what to say. Carshalton were good and we were, well, abysmal. Very, very disappointing evening and a poor result to write a match report on. Four more difficult games now. Over an out? Or a miracle? Six weeks ago, I couldn't see Carshalton coming out of the relegation zone, but now, well, I don't know wha to say.
Dan throwing the hair dryer at yourself is surely self harming, he is a disgrace too the club, he should have been sent off again, hasn't a clue, and other clubs must be laughing at us.
The first half wasn't great but what happened at half time. It's been like this for weeks. Nothing coming from the technical area they just stand and stare. Carshalton were well organised and full credit them , we are just a shambles.
From top to bottom the whole club needs a sort out
What has happened to JohnW's tread and great post that showed earlier?
-- Edited by Barry on Friday 19th of April 2013 10:15:53 AM
I thought we did pretty well first half and may have gone in ahead with a bit of luck. However you could always see they were dangerous on the break and we were well beaten in the end. No complaints...unlike Saturday. Unless I'm imagining it I think we are playing a lot better going forward than we did during that endless run of home draws....but the end result is a lot of home defeats. Clearly this punishing climax to the season is taking it's toll and the players looked physically shattered towards the end. The bad news for Hastings is that Carshalton currently look far too good to go down so I reckon we'll need at least two more wins to pull ourselves clear because other bottom teams have to play each other. The good news is that it's still in our hands........ though we'll need something out of the ordinary on the road to survive now. So I'll predict it will be us and one other for the drop, probably Lewes.....a glorious campaign for East Sussex !
Dan throwing the hair dryer at yourself is surely self harming, he is a disgrace too the club, he should have been sent off again, hasn't a clue, and other clubs must be laughing at us.
It's a bit extreme but I do agree with this to a certain extent. He's turning out to be a liability and should be setting an example. I even said in my report that he was lucky to see yellow. Not quite sure how he wasn't sent off!
Wasn't sent off cause he wasn't last man simple as that, i dont mean to cause offence Chris b but your attacks are personal and I bet you was one of then singing his praise in the fa cup epeshcially when he made the same some of tackle at bishop stortford but times it better. funny how fickle fans are when times are hard, I know full well that being a charlton fan, give it a rest, there wernt many positives last night although I though the players looked really tired, 4 games in 7 days many travelling atleast an hour to home games and hastings boys sometimes 2/3 hours to away games trust me it take it out of you. I know the management are doing their best to keep the club in the premier division. And will continue to do so until they achieve or fail that. That being said your support is Appriciated and is very welcoming to staff and players.
The fans turned up...the players didn't. Thought we were good in the first half, second half very poor! Wasn't this quoted by the Management as "must win". Well we didn't win it so what message is that sending out. Said it before we lack experience at this level, players and staff have to hard look at themselves.
Spot on Saxy. When your threatened with legal action over comments made you have to take it seriously, whether you agree or not, but i am never to proud not to listen or take advice from those supposedly in the know and in not being Au fait with the law I will re write the post even though 99% of the content will remain the same. I apologize to Wishing Tree if he felt offended and take on board his advice, but way too much is taken out of context on this site and is the reason why so many of my good friends, loyal supporters and well known posters no longer come on here, which is very sad.
In a nutshell has there ever in the history of HUFC or in fact the history of the Ryman league ever been a season of such incredible highs and gut wrenching lows. So why? We have heard certain opinions from well respected members such as Chris B, Barry and Phil and the other end of the scale from equally well respected members such as Dan, Pat and Rimsay. As for me, I am somewhere in the middle. A lot of people on the forum have heaped the blame on Sean and the management team but again I think a lot of the blame is down to too many abject performances from certain players. Again, I think the problem lies somewhere in between the two but when you look at the strength of our squad you find it hard to believe we are in this mess. Forget comments about our lucky cup run, I saw every game and there was no luck, we deserved everything we got and showed what a good side we are.
As stated on a previous thread we have a top scorer with 6 league goals this season, 6 goals! that's incredible. We have a midfield who have amassed 7 goals in nearly 150 appearances and a back 4 who have kept just 5 clean sheets all season. How can a squad of our quality be producing those kinds of results.
So what is the problem?. Digging a little deeper, there have been some very strange goings on at the club since Xmas and rumors and stories have been gaining momentum whether fact or fiction. So who can answer these questions.
I understood than Sean had been given the dreaded vote of confidence until the end of the season and yet the word is, is that Gary Wilson had been offered the job, only to turn it down due to his lad playing for Brighton. True or false?
How and why has Lee Carey played more games than anyone else this season? At the Lancing game it was said that he had had his last chance and yet he was reinstalled as captain and started every game since. Why? and no I don't hate Lee before anyone says it. I have never seen him give less than 100% but he is not captain material and has had a very poor season.
Every supporter to a man said after the Bognor game that Freddie Warren put in the best 90 minutes by a Hastings player this season which he did. So why has he only started one game since? is he injured?
Why has our best and experienced defender, Ben Judge, with years of experience at higher levels with Wimbledon and Tonbridge, been replaced by Jono Richardson? Is he injured?
Why every 10 days are we told Goldburg is back in 10 days? If he is still injured then put out a club statement.
Who gave permission and why did Jamie Crellin run a marathon in the middle of the most important period in the clubs history? Got a lot of time for Jamie but why?
Why, when every man and his dog can see 4-3-3 does not work, especially when your scrapping for survival, do we continue to play this way?
And I haven't even started on Hugo. Now I have a great respect for him in the fact that he had the balls to go on twitter and answer supporters questions, fair play, but despite obviously being a decent human being and being qualified up to the eyeballs what improvements have we seen under him? Have we in fact gone backwards? Has he undermined Stapley? From what I can see his only claim to fame was 'allegedly' bring in Ray Freeman, probably the worse signing seen at the Pilot Field and I include the Supporters Team.
The one person who has not come in for criticism on the forum is Dave Walters and rightly so in my mind. We have used 46 players this season, i lie not, so we cannot accuse him of not getting out the cheque book and supporting his manager. You can always confront him and ask any question and he will always give an honest and passionate reply. And he came over extremely well on TV during the cup run, so all you can really throw at him is should he have got rid of Sean? Whether or not the Gary Wilson rumors are true people have to understand what an incredibly difficult decision this must have been for him after Sean's heroics in the cup. Just look at the Venky's at Blackburn who are on their 4th manager this season and could still go down and yet Mr Ferguson was 1 game from the sack and now look at him. Just don't think it is as easy as some make out.
The one positive to come out of all of this is the magnificent set of supporters at Hastings. Even after Carshalton the majority still seem to think we will survive and they are a credit to the club. Pett made a good comment earlier about the players traveling long distances to games and the commitments they make (Canvey, Bury and Thurrock coming up this week) but lets not forget the supporters. With train fares, diesel, entry fees, food etc etc I have spent near on £150 in April alone following my team, so please let us have our say before jumping down our throats at every opportunity. The vast majority of supporters on here are spending this same kind of money and are hurting just as much as the players and management.
You make a brilliant comment aswell John about supporters it wasn't a dig at anyone just saying I feel the criticism for Sean is abit personal, I have spent a fair bit of Money myself travelling away from home to games, not that it takes away to fact all supporters are allowed their opinion as they are the heartbeat of the club, managers and chairman come And go but the support is always the same, that's one big credit to hastings in general I think.
Chris the law states that even though he denied a goal scoring opportunity the referee can't give a red card as their was a covering defender and he MAY have got to the ball. Which puts enough doubt in the refs mind to not warrant a red card. Or that's how I've always read it. Like has been said its opinions but think that's the thought process of a referee that he has to go through.
John w most of the points you make are decisions made by the manager if he picks the team, so ultimately you are blaming Sean and Sean alone if he really is in charge.
Thought Hastings played as well as they have all season in the first 45 minutes but the writing was on the wall when the score was still 1-1 at half-time. I think many supporters had an idea what might be coming in the second half as Hastings were playing a dangerous game striving for the win. We still managed to miss some good chances in the second half before Carshalton took over. I thought Carshalton were as good as any team who have been to the Pilot Field this season. Their 3 centre halves were excellent and Nathaniel Pinney was a real handful. Their keeper was excellent as well. With only 5 players from the team that beat us early in the season they clearly have made improvements. They look far too good to be down at the bottom. Thought Jack's goal was very good and can only assume he hasn't been fully fit when he hasn't been in the starting eleven. The heavy schedule of matches must have played a part in the final 30 minutes. For what it's worth I would keep the same management team for next season whether we are relegated or not. Tough matches coming up with some of Hastings' favourite away grounds, Bury and East Thurrock! 3 points at Canvey would be brilliant.
Fair point Chris, looking back it does 'unintentionally' come over that way and I guess that's the point you've been making over the past few months but I still stand by the fact it is a collective effort and it is not all down to Sean. For as strong as you are in your beliefs that Sean should go you are equally as soft in your criticism of the players (apart from Zac). They have been very poor at times this season and it cannot all be the managers fault. I remember games at Enfield and Met Police this season where we didn't have a single shot at goal in 90 minutes. I just don't believe that the players drop their performance because they are not motivated by Sean. It is because they are not good enough, over a full season, at this level. What do you think?
Hello rev59, idon't know if we have ever met before. I'm afraid to say I am one of the stay away supporters these days, cant stand or sit in one place very long as my back cant take it now. On a different note I am not surprised the second halves of the games go down hill concidering the amount of games they are playing . The players must be absolutely cream crackerd. ps I used to watch the games by the barrier between the burger bar and the main stand.
Sorry Pete, maybe not then, its just that I was talking to a guy on Thursday for about 30 mins, did`nt catch his name, I would discribe him as " a knowledgeable wanderer" due to the fact, he watches a few different teams play ?
John yes I do believe players are too blame as well, but less harsh on them because I don't believe we have tactics from management team, or the right formation, and Sean's comments in the observer can hardly be good for dressing room harmony.
