After the postponed match against Three Bridges it is now a home game against
Ramsgate are currently the number 19th in the table with 29 points out of 28 games.
Scored 43 and conceded 55 goals.
They won their last game at home against East Grindstead with 4-2.
And we? Back to business and hopefully back to winning ways. Like Darren Hare told us these are crucial games coming up the next weeks and they will decide if we are a real candidate for the play-offs.
Abysmal once again, what is going on with our football club? We have been second best and pretty much battered by East Grinstead, Sittingbourne, Cray, Three Bridges and now Ramsgate. We have completely lost our passing game, our attacking flair and the conveyer belt of poor signings just keeps on rolling.
Why, against a team 7th from bottom and without a manger did we play Frannie up front on his own? Who plays up front for the youth or development teams? why were they at least not on the bench? Throughout the first half we kept hoofing it long on to his head, he won the flick on, but no one was within 20 yards. And what about our crossing today, has anyone ever seen such inept crossing from players of this level? Poor old Butcher, who carried on his dreadful form from the Three Bridges game had at least 6 crosses where he failed to beat the first defender. All of the signings looked distinctly average again and the left back, yet again looked like a typical Hastings left back....useless. Really disappointed again and feel very sorry for those loyal fans who braved the bitter cold tonight.
Only positive of the night was Strannard who gave everyone a lift when he came on. Why did he not start? Heard he almost made last Tuesday's game so don't know why he did not start. Just so many questions again tonight and really surprised to see a very subdued and quiet Hare on the touchline. Maybe he knows now that the play offs are just not possible now this season.
-- Edited by johnw on Tuesday 17th of January 2017 10:16:09 PM
Spot on John, it was awful.....we have had umpteen signings from Gillingham and don't think they are any better that what we have in the Development Squad,and why does Frannie out leading scorer take the corners.I don't get it.
Very disappointing. I very much agree with John's point - it simply isn't working to get average players (from Gillingham or wherever) on loan. In our injury crisis we should have more confidence with our reserve/ youth/ development players; if, as appears to be the case, we have not the budget to sign further players on a permanent basis. Why did it take forever for Dullaway to appear and why did Akota remain on the bench? We seem to be going rapidly backwards and surely any hope of the play-offs is fading fast.
Very disappointing but, to be honest, I went with low expectations from a team with so many strangers. Thought 11 (can't remember his name) had a decent first half but otherwise the newcomers didn't impress. Probably most frustrating was the number of times we wasted good, wide positions with crosses straight to the keeper. I certainly won't remember this game for long...in fact probably the most forgettable that I have seen this season.
Having only attended home games,nearly every goal we concede is a carbon copy.We are learning absolutely nothing about defending.Now our finishing is falling in line with our poor defending.The amount of times the ball goes across the box,if it beats the first defender,and no one knows whether to hit it with their right or left foot or their head.I can't remember Ramsgate's keeper making a stop of any note.Our season is going from a bright spark to a damp squib which is just about extinguished.Wonder what next season will hold ?
Hare must go we are clueless, hopeless and a shambles. Serves no purpose in him staying save the money for next season. When we lose in 1st round of every cup and concentrate solely on the league.
Really good point Darren. The more I think about all the goals we have conceded of late they are all very similar. When did we last concede a screamer or a great team goaL Our full backs are so average and so many goals are taps ins in the middle after breaks down the flanks.
Disappointing result for Hastings. The long list of injured players has had the effect of disrupting any fluency in our play. Very unlikely we will make the play-offs now but I have confidence in the present management team who need to be given time to build a stronger squad for next season.
Totally agree with your post Tim, there is no doubt that the injuries have had a major effect. However I don't think that signing players that disappear after 2 or 3 games helps. Would prefer to give Dullaway, Climpson , Pritchard etc an extended run.
That Robins did look decent enough but agree Phil would have preferred Pritchard to get a good chance in his preferred position instead but maybe there are justified reasons why that didn't happen that we don't know.
We have certainly played some breath-taking football at times this season and on our day I still believe there is none better, but our days are sadly few and far between of late. I don't think we will make the play offs and if we do I just cannot see us being good enough to scrape through so perhaps we do need to start planning for next year already. With the squad we have it certainly feels like another season of huge underachievement
I am not sure players such as Davies, Butcher and Cogan are good enough to take us forward and the new loanees and signings look pretty average to date. Its critical we keep Cole, who has been hugely missed, Rowe, Johnson, Bodkin, Collin and Stannard and build around them adding a fit Crutts, Harris and a few youngsters. I would then love to see some 'Hastings' thrown back into the side with people like Adams and Pelling, although I do feel Pidge has improved hugely over the last month.
There is absolutely no doubt, unless of course he walks, that Darren and Watty will be here next season, so we just have to ride this dreadful run of form and carry on getting behind them and hope next season is the one. Where have I heard that before.
And by the way, how good did Tom Chapman of Ramsgate look again last night. Not sure how old he is now but impressive every time we play Ramsgate.I know we tried to sign him a couple of years ago under Dave Walters and he turned us down but that is the type of signing we need, not Gillingham reserve players on a 3 week loan deal.
-- Edited by johnw on Wednesday 18th of January 2017 03:55:57 PM
Not sure were out of the mix yet, but injuries have made a massive dent in our play off challenge over the last month.
The next four matches are now crucial. Anything less than 10 points from these four games and play offs will be a million miles away. Four really tough games as well, especially Hythe twice.
I personally will stay positive and see how the next four games unfold.
Whatever, I agree with most of you and do not wish to see the management changed, even if we don't get out of this dismal division of doom and gloom this season...
I spoke to Bradley's mum and she said he had a really bad stomach upset and couldn't play. I think Pidge is over his injured ribs and looks a top keeper now. Don't forget we had two players who got stuck in traffic at the Dartford crossing, with all our injuries it was a bad night for us to be playing.
