Hastings Supporters Forum - 100% Unofficial!

These games are never easy and never pretty against lower league opposition but today was as ugly as you will get. Against quite possibly the biggest bunch of whingers I have ever seen at the Pilot Field, Hastings produced yet another below par performance. In fact in the 2nd half you would struggle to work out which was the county league side as yet again we were totally inept at passing, our set pieces were appalling and all round it was just very average.

I thought first half we did okay and pretty much controlled the game without setting the world alight. Zac missed an absolute sitter and a couple of half chances passed us by before Jack won a stonewall penalty and Sam gave us just about a deserved half time lead. Second half was a different story and to be honest we were awful offensively. Poor passing, poor set pieces and dreadful finishing and sadly we got dragged into Thatcham's awful tactics compounded when, surprise surprise, Jack Walder got sent off. This has been waiting to happen all season and can think of 3 or 4 other occasions when this could have happened previously. Sadly, he is becoming something of a liability to the team and not offering a lot else. After the sending off we looked content to sit deep and hit them on the break, which was really surprising tactics as they were also down to 10, and it could quite easily have ended up all square.

I thought Razor and Ollie were excellent today and Tom did well when he came on and seems to offer us so much more than Walder. I've touched on most of the negatives and yet again, sorry, but Max Hollobone really struggled and just gives the ball away too much. I'm sure he will a fantastic asset for us one day but at the moment he just looks a little out of his depth.

As I said, these games are never easy and we are in the hat for the next round and another £3000 banked. When you see teams like Dorking, Burgess Hill and Lewes knocked out today I guess we should just be thankful and move on.

Heard you had a proper result on the raffle at least though Chris!

Once I get a chance to look at the footage of be interested to see what the pen and red card incidents were like.

Will likely be up tomorrow.

Aside from that scrappy game again, still ponderous and hesitant on the ball but hopefully that will pick up, the worry is the forwards lack of form, would be tempted to try Tyrell & Bright from the start next time.

Hmmm....still quite a lot of concerns after that performance......just as well we weren't playing anyone better !
Where to start ?
Well I too thought we looked very 'comfortable' in the first half and, other than a couple of free kicks in dangerous areas, they produced virtually nothing. Sadly we produced not much more.....surely Zac should be burying those chances and, while the penalty maybe was the right decision it was certainly very fortunate because the goal attempt had already come to nothing. (I'd like to see the incident again though.) Get the feeling that we were all quite relaxed at the break because they certainly didn't look likely to create much.
The early stages of the second half were poor. Playing one up front just seems to invite pressure because the ball keeps coming straight back... I hope Garry rethinks this approach.
As for the red card incident, I think we got out of jail. What on earth was Walder thinking of ? We could easily have ended up 10 against 11 and their guy was unlucky. Totally irresponsible from the skipper and I hope Garry let's him know. He got away with something similar in one of the Hythe games and, as John rightly says, is now becoming a liability.
The game got 'stretched' in the latter stages and we really should have capitalised on some great positions and won more easily...as it happened we ended up just grateful for the win. As for individual performances, I felt all the back four did pretty well. Jack had another fruitless game up front but it's the midfield that worries me.
I'm sorry if people think I'm picking on him but Hollobone is not up to this yet. Tom looked far more comfortable when he came on and always looks capable of making the killer pass. Not many others do. And what's happened to Sam Cruttwell ? Is he injured or just out of favour ? As things stand I'd start him before Walder, Hollobone and Holden.
Discuss.

Thought it was a compelling cup tie with little between the sides in the second half. We are still struggling to click as a team and we needed some strong individual performances from our usual top performers to keep us ahead. Unlike John I thought the ref's decisions helped us today. Really pleased we held on for the win and a special mention for Tom Vickers, who was very composed when he came on.

Sam Cruttwell is indeed injured Mick. I didn't see much of the first half as per usual but from what I understand their manager could be heard from the offices shouting for them get at the referee and get our players at least cautioned. I didn't hear that myself but if this is the case it could be a fair reflection as to why the game took a downward turn for us. I've heard so many stories as to why Walder was sent off, I was at the other end of the ground and couldn't see clearly so will leave my judgement until then.

hope game was filmed to see the penaly incident and see it again but still think it harsh but will take it. to be honest we should have been 1 up by then after the miss of the season. really think with attwood that we have a new a olorunda, overrated and always injured. i'd start with harris and temba, think temba has look like he wants it this season and think his workrate is what we need up front. Mickhopewe get lots of dodgy penalties and favourable draws but would rather a trip to white hart lane, upton park, old trafford etc than the riverside! or stamford bridge or anfield, reckon we'd have a chance a the last 2!

Barry if the match report says they only had one goal effort, then the writer wasn't watching the game, I can think of at least 3 on target efforts. More worrying to me is walder how can someone who behaves like he does be captain of our team, surely Sam A, Ollie and Razor are all better candidates.

I agree about the captaincy going to a central defender, or though Sam Adams wears it well. There was only one single shot on goal for Town. I was sat with Mr Eagle-Eyed Sean Adams who week-in-week-out does a fantastic job compiling statistics and match reports.

Yesterday was ugly and uncomfortable but we got the win and some more money in the bank. Like John said, Leses, Burgess Hill and Dorking all lost yesterday so let's just be thankful!

It's how you define shot on goal Chris, maybe my previous post saying one attempt wasn't clear in that it was one attempt on target? From the way I see it a shot on target counts as such if it hits the woodwork, is saved by the keeper or cleared off the line. I saw the spilled shot from Josh but I can't say I saw anything else which would fall into the category as a shot on target, either way the fact is they've won their last 9 games and lost yesterday, we will be in the draw tomorrow and they won't be.

Fair enough but it still doesn't get away from the point that if a Hastings player hadn't stopped or blocked those shots TT would have scored twice at least. Which I believe most normal people would count as shots on target.

thanks Dan for highlights again very good and who need commentary when supporters do scary moments with Jesus Christ! Penalty I think what I saw yesterday and said was right and think it was dodgy. think Harris had fluffed his shot before the two players tangled, think we would have felt hard done by if other way round. cant really see the sending off incident clearly but as SS said the foul by there 9 in front of dugout should have be a red card not yellow.

I have to say I thought it was a soft penalty yesterday but from that angle I think was a clear penalty. Just shows what different angles show.

Certainly agree that the shot had been fluffed but that's not the important factor. The ref adjudged it as a late challenge so I maintain it was 'soft' but technically correct. (Who'd be a referee ?)

Changed my mind on the red card for the Thatcham player. It was a more violent challenge on Walder than I first thought and 'red' was a fair enough decision......in my opinion.

The way I see it from the highlights is the player looked late in his attempt to challenge Jack. Regardless as you say we're through.

Just watched it again and realised that the guy who shoved Walder wasn't the one who got sent off...that was the number 4.
As I say...who'd be a referee ? Anyway it's all history now.

I think your assessment is pretty well spot on, Dan.

I think he gave him the armband preseason specifically in the hope it would calm him down a bit mate and get the best out of him, think that's not quite happening as yet... He was Lewes captain under Garry though as well don't forget

Personally I think Razor should be captain. He leads by example with his total commitment and has plenty to say. That said HE needed seriously restraining by Tom at the end of the match yesterday.

Thatcham really did know how to get under people's skins....I guess they just weren't used to losing.

Do I remember a similar argument after a game at Faversham last year over something just as trivial? For me Sean Adams is by far and away the best match writer/reporter in the league and  one of the few that shows no biased to their own team which I like. You only have to read the two Folkestone reports this year from our opposition to see the opposite end of the scale. I really have no idea why we are talking about the match stats and whether they had 2 shots off target or not, I really don't care and I thought Sean explained his method very well. The match highlights, although edited, appear to back up what Sean has said and apart from a josh save from a free kick i can't remember anything else bar the Ollie block and a couple balls across the area.

lets just remember Sean goes to every home and away match whatever the distance or time of year and gives up a lot of time to produce these excellent match reports and match stats. If he doesn't do it, where knackered, to put it bluntly so just think we should pick our words a little more carefully. I think he does a fantastic job.

Once again Chris you seem to be trying to wind people up. You obviously are the one talking rubbish here, you know nothing about the way the match stats are gathered. I have sat with Sean on countless times at games and his attention to detail is second to none making sure that the facts are correct. In a totally unbiased opinion we have as John said, one of the best if not the best writers/ web masters in this league and I'd dare say in non league football. I look at a lot of non league clubs websites and some have been quite literally dormant for years.
I don't know what your reason for nit picking is? however it is certainly not appreciated you once again having a go at one of our volunteers, if you do not have anything of worth to say then please don't bother. I know to almost every supporter volunteers are appreciated for giving up their valued time and are without doubt the backbone to this club and your comments are not appreciated.

Looks like Chris has had several attempts to wind people up and at leat one was on target.

well the football has not been that great the last few weekss but at least the forum gives us a laugh. Love your comment Dave! at end of day there is only 1 stat that really matters anyway but i am more concerned about our style of play than whether our excellent match reports have correctly recorded how many shots there was

Why don't you go and tell Sean yourself?

On other forums users have the useful ability to block or mute trolls, would be a welcome addition here I imagine...