One of the most one sided games I have seen at the Pilot Field for a long time, particularly second half, but who cares, what a super win. Two fantastic goals from probably our only two efforts on target and a superb defensive effort sent a disappointing Carshalton away with nothing, and to be fair, they had tonnes of possession but very few efforts on target and I think we deserved it just through sheer effort. There was no doubt that there was a massive improvement in the team effort tonight with everyone putting in a real shift. Thought Sammy Adams was back to his very best up top on his own in the second half and Whybourne looked like he had never been away with a super performance ably aided by both Tom and Ollie Rowe. Great effort all round and a great start for Chris but an awful lot of work still to do and by the looks of it some more injuries to add to the growing list tonight.
We looked like a team tonight for the first time in ages. Great battling defensive performance. Well done to young Ollie at fullback. Getting subbed after 20 mins at cray could have destroyed his confidence , but never really looked troubled tonight.
2 banks of 4 at the back and every player giving 100 % showed what can be done defensively in a short time. It wasn't pretty to watch at times but it was very effective, unfortunately with our current squad this type of set up will probably be our norm from now on. Fine if we keep winning but defeats will not be tolerated for long. Well done all tonight and hopefully more wins to come in the next few weeks.
A great result, two good goals, and a very gritty determined performance. As Chris B says it was a very defensive performance, but it worked. Chris A has motivated the players. I particularly liked his decisiveness in substituting Kenny immediately after he somehow managed to escape a second yellow!
Good to see Sam Cole and Simon Johnson in attendance at the ground; how we need them on the pitch to add some flair to the welcome work rate and determination shown this evening.
A backs to the wall performance very different from last season's match against Carshalton. Tom Vickers was very good in the first half-hope he isn't badly injured. Rhys Whybourne and Ollie Rowe, in the second half, both defended really well. Jack showed great skill in creating the first goal for Sam and it was a matter of hanging on after that. One of those nights when it seemed Casrshalton were never going to score whatever they did. Great effort from all the team but can we win games regularly playing like this?
A tremendously absorbing contest between two contrasting styles. You have to admire Carshalton for their commitment to a particular way of playing: there aren't many sides at any level in this country who'll still be patiently playing out from the back when chasing the game in the dying minutes. It does make them vulnerable, though, if you're prepared to put the work into either swarming all over them in midfield (last season) or preventing them from turning possession into chances (last night).
Thought it had the look of one of those fixtures which can change the course of a season, for better or for worse. There's a version where only half the team shows up, there's much wailing and gnashing of teeth in the stands, and a heavy defeat sends everything into a terminal tailspin. And there's a version where the whole team uses a difficult fixture as a rallying point, gets the crowd back on board, and comes up with a really uplifting, unexpected win. Mercifully, it was the latter.
I was reading Chris Agutter's programme notes this morning and a couple of bits stood out:
"We have shown far more spirit and teamwork ethic, far more blood and guts and far more heart and desire. (...) Put simply, 'if you don't run, you don't play'."
"It might not always be pretty, however, we will do what needs to be done to get back to winning ways..."
I always think that if what a manager says is translated into what you see on the pitch, something's going right. It certainly wasn't pretty - the long throws might lose their novelty value, for a start - but there was a huge amount of spirit and teamwork. And an even huger amount of running. As others have said - and, to be fair, as Agutter says himself elsewhere in his notes - we'll need much more than that in the longer term. But it's something to build on.
No we cannot Tim but its a start in the right direction. We need wins, however they come, and then we can start adding to the squad over time and hopefully the performances will come. Spoke to Johnno last night and he is back training and hoping to start games in 2 weeks and just really hope Sam Cole and get back soon as he will be like a new super signing but will he ever be the same player? I really do hope so.
Just a few things from last night.
Sorry, but still don't see what Lee Carey adds. Neat and tidy but just adds nothing to the team in front of the back four. Would much rather see Oliie and Rhys forge a partnership with Tom Vickers playing that holding role or even Johnno when he's back.
Was disappointed to see Kenny Pogue last night still getting caught offside way too much. He does tend to ball watch rather than watch the line and an old bad habit which he does not seem to have rectified, but he did okay.
Not a lot been said about him on the forum but been really impressed with Charlie Horlock and to me he looks as good as Josh who yet again didn't play for Dorking last night....all very strange.
I thought the two youngsters at full back did okay and Ollie's throw actually helped us last night relieve a lot of pressure in our own half but lets not over use it. Every single throw, wherever it was on the pitch was thrown long which worked last night but lets mix it up.
Sam Beales was superb and rightly MOM down the left hand side but is that at the expense of Crutts performance? Sam had a quiet game out on the right last night and still looked well short of his best. Would much rather see Beales at left back with Crutts in front.
Jack Dixon had his best game since the season opener and Sammy Adams was just Sammy Adams. Ran his heart out all night.
And Rodari continues to be an enigma. I think his first three or four touches he lost the ball, got an absolute rocket from Chris and then scored a blinder. Then disappeared again. He certainly has something but very raw still but what a great goal.
And just finally has Chris started his management career just at the right time and will the luck be with him? Its been a pretty tough start to the season fixture wise but looking at the next eleven games coming up until the end of November, seven being home games, and six against the bottom seven, could we expect Hastings to win 7 or 8 of these and be back in the play off hunt or am I getting ahead of myself? I think we can all agree we have a very good looking set of fixtures coming up over the next few weeks.
H Faversham H Horsham A Corinthian H Thamesmead H Chipstead A Shoreham H Cray A Ashford A Horsham H VCD H Guernsey.
First clean sheet of the season against a side that hadn't lost a league game. Charlie Horlock will've been well pleased! Yea - Carshalton had lots of possession and numerous corners but hardly any efforts on goal. Look at recent defeats and then we win a game like this. Football for you.Just get Johnno buzz sawing his way through midfield again and we can progress upwards. Johnny Akoto looked good at RB - can't understand why Hinshelwood let him out on loan?
Ollie's long throw very useful last night as it must have wasted about 10 minutes. Like John I would hope to see Tom Vickers playing as a defensive midfield player but he was excellent at centre back last night. What a different sort of team from last season. Nearly always had 2 wingers with Harry and Matt and lots of attacking threat, although always vulnerable at the back. And an almost locally based side this year.
