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Topic: Saturday: VCD Athletic- Hastings United

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BertNEC
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Saturday: VCD Athletic- Hastings United
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After the point won ( or 2 lost... ) against South Park it is another away game against VCD_Athletic_F.C.png

VCD are currently the number 18 in the table with 32 points out of 31 games.

They scored 50 and conceded 66 goals.

 

VCD plays at The Oakwood Ground, Old Road, Crayford,Kent image1.jpg

 

Remember our home game back in November: Hastings United Football Club produced surely its best half of football this season en route to a deserved home victory this afternoon (Saturday).

Chris Agutter’s side was excellent in the opening period before losing its way somewhat during the second and in the end being relieved to clinch a 2-1 win against VCD Athletic.

The result stretched Hastings’ unbeaten run to five Bostik Football League Division One South games and moved them up to 14th in the table, three places and two points above their victims.

Without Rhys Whyborne and with Sam Beale still missing, Ollie Rowe reverted to a central defensive role, Bradley Pritchard came in at right-back and Sam Cruttwell moved to left-back. Davide Rodari was restored to the starting line-up in midfield.

Hastings dominated the first half with some terrific football on a damp and drizzly afternoon at The Pilot Field. They scored two goals, hit the woodwork twice and spurned a couple of other decent opportunities to have put the game to bed before the break.

Sam Adams was narrowly off target with an early free kick after Calum Davies was brought down by VCD goalkeeper Joe Mant right on the edge of the box. Still in the first five minutes, Davies struck the inside of the far post from Rodari’s pass and the ball rebounded into Mant’s arms.

Cruttwell’s long range drive was well gathered by Mant just before Hastings opened the scoring in the 18th minute. Ansu Janneh got the better of VCD defender Kamarl Duncan before lashing a powerful left-foot shot past Mant from around a dozen yards.

After Dayshonne Golding fired just wide of the far post and Rodari had a shot parried by Mant, Hastings went two-up in the 26th minute. Adams played a lovely ball through to Davies, who cleverly engineered the yard of space he needed to bury a fine finish into the far corner.

Golding then thumped a shot against the crossbar from Janneh’s pass before Rodari had two clear chances in barely a minute. He firstly shot weakly at Mant having dispossessed the last defender and then steered Golding’s low centre wide of the far post while stretching.

Fortunate to still be in the game, VCD enjoyed a good five-minute spell right at the end of the half, during which Hastings goalkeeper Charlie Horlock saved from Kojo Awotwi at his near post and Alastair Gordon’s corner was headed wide by Kemo Darboe.

The opening stages of the second period were far more even. Janneh saw a shot blocked after a lovely one-two with Rodari and Davies volleyed Golding’s cross just wide, while at the other end, Horlock was quickly off his line to block Omar Lawson’s header following Darboe’s flick through.

Lawson again tested Horlock, this time with a decent strike from distance, before VCD pulled one back in the 58th minute. Horlock parried the initial effort, but Ellis Brown turned home the rebound from close range.

Suddenly it was game on and VCD began to see a lot of the ball as Hastings, certainly not for the first time this season, dropped deep in an effort to protect a lead that was now far more precarious than it ought to have been.

Golding had a shot blocked after skipping past Gordon and Davies slipped in the act of shooting from just outside the six yard box, while at the other end, Horlock saved at the feet of Anthony Martin and pulled off a splendid stop low to his left from Lawson’s goalbound free kick.

Man of the moment Davies hobbled off in the 78th minute and was replaced by Kenny Pogue, who looked set to score in added time following great work by Adams and George Taggart only to be denied by a brilliant Daniel Smith block.

Hastings: Horlock, Pritchard (Black 62), Cruttwell, Lovatt, Rowe, Climpson, Rodari, Adams, Davies (Pogue 78), Janneh (Taggart 69), Golding. Subs not used:Sotoyinbo, Smith. 

* A minute’s silence was observed before kick-off in honour of long-time supporter Len King and a presentation was made to Rhys Whyborne at half time in recognition of making 200 appearances for the club.

Simon Newstead

For all the travelling supporters: save journey!

 

COYU'sssssssss!

 



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philg
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Saturday: VCD Athletic- Hastings United
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Good luck today, can’t make it....got the dreaded Lurgy. Three points would make me feel better.

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johnw
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RE: Saturday: VCD Athletic- Hastings United
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So there is a slightly worrying, on going theme starting here. You dominate a team for 75 minutes, and I mean dominate, miss a hatful of really good chances, and then hang on for a point. We did it Tuesday and again today.

From the first to the 75th minute today we dominated so much I am guessing we had 80% possession and at times where camped in their penalty box, never mind their half. But chance after chance went and you kind of knew what was coming. As we did at South Park we started to run out of legs in the centre of the park and did not have the strength on the bench to replace. This resulted in what should have been a very poor VCD team being well beaten, turning the game around and almost beating us. Two great chances missed, two of the line and a fantastic Charlie save prevented what would have been quite frankly a disastrous result.

Leading up to this Callum missed at least five glorious chances with further efforts from Ansu, Antonio, Dixon and three from the excellent Rodari. But as the game wore on you could sense what was coming and it came in bucket loads as VCD took a totally undeserved lead at probably the third attempt in two minutes. But this team does have some real character and Ollie Rowe showed them all how it is done with a fantastic shot from the edge of the area just nestling in the far corner. That wasn't the end of the action as VCD could then have still nicked it but we finally escaped with a point when lets be honest, we should have been four or five up.

Observations from today. Do not understand how we are running teams ragged for 80 minutes but then appear to run out of steam. Shouldn't it be the other team that happens too. we just couldn't handle them last 10, same as South Park.

The bench was very average today and the loss of Jack Dixon early second half did not help. Dare I say was crying out for a Vickers or Cole.

Rodari was superb today and his best game in a Hastings shirt. Ollie Rowe and Sammy Adams also really good and the new lad Christie at the back looked really solid bar the last five. looks a really good find.

Passing and ball retention was excellent again and despite some Hastings moron shouting out "this is boring football", on the contrary, I find it refreshing and very exciting to see a non league team playing this way. Its how I try and teach my boys and long may it continue.

And then we come too Callum. How long can we keep saying he works so hard. He is up there on his own and is there to score goals. I make that nine excellent chances in a week and one goal. People do not want to hear it but a Medlock or Collin up top and we win both games by three or four goals. I think he would be super playing off a striker but as a lone striker, in the system we play I am just not sure. Not saying he is not good enough because he is a super talent but will he score you 25-30 goals? will he score one from one chance in a tight game?

As I said mid week, next season we win these games I am sure, but the missed chances are becoming a real problem and today was probably the last remaining sniff we had of a play off place gone. Thoroughly enjoyable game but equally frustrating and undoubtedly four points dropped this week. 



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johnw
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RE: Saturday: VCD Athletic- Hastings United
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Forgot to add, someone please get Ansu down a gym for some strength work. Really frustrating performance from him today and last 20 minutes was a bit of a passenger. For a big lad he just gets knocked off the ball so easily and would really love to see him work back harder once he has lost that ball. Never thought I would say it but Rodari has just really moved his game on a level whilst Ansu appears to have stood still. Still so young and I have no doubt Chris and Steve will get this out of him.



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philg
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Thanks for updates and report John. You mention Cole and Vickers, both turned out for Crowborough today. Surely they must be match fit by now.

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conquest1
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Saturday: VCD Athletic- Hastings United
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We seem to rectify one problem and then create another.I think back to games where we started so badly and came back strong,it's now the other way round.
In regards to Callum,I think he is a great talent who works tirelessly and plays with intelligence.It would help,I'm sure,if he could play alongside an out and out striker

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ChrisVanRock
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John W ... ditto !! ... as I told you today your reports are so good I am just going to say ditto everytime!!!

(1) Rodari was brilliant today

(2) Callum missing sitters... missing Billy M I am

(3) nothing on bench to replace strikers

(4) thank god for Charlie ( horlock ! )

(5) VDC ... are all there fans on holiday???

(6) no chips !!! Shame on you VDC 😂

and finally will our boy Bradley every play again ??... super lad him

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johnw
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Difficult one with Bradley as Ollie Rowe, alongside Sammy Adams, is probably our best player on current form and playing exceptionally well at right back.  I guess with Dixon now looking like he may be out for a while there is a chance that Ollie may revert back to center and Crutts into midfield although Sam is playing very well at the back and looked very comfortable alongside the new lad today. I guess the question is, would Bradley have been a better bet than both Taggart and Kiernan In midfield today? 



-- Edited by johnw on Saturday 3rd of February 2018 10:44:08 PM

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timbjones
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Thanks for your reports John. It will be interesting to see how this group of players develop. Personally, I think we are some way off from challenging for promotion and will need to improve quite a bit next year. It may be possible with this group of players if some of our younger players progress. Comparing our current team to our last promotion team-made up, by the way, of almost all local players, we lack dominating physical players like Ade and Tim Olorunda and of course, Sean Ray. The football they played was entertaining and got results. Sometimes I think we are a bit too concerned with playing a style of play that concentrates on keeping possession. This is very easy to do when passing the ball around in our own half and, I do take issue with Chris here, who claims this is valuable as it tires the opposition out. He cites the Whyteleafe at home game as an example of this happening. I didn't see many Whyteleafe players doing much in the way of running in that first half. They spent most of the half wandering around in their own half doing nothing but waiting for the end result of our possession-a long punt upfield-which they dealt very easily with. Hastings do look effective when passing the ball in the opposition half or when sides commit themselves to a pressing game. Anyway it is refreshing to see a young side looking for ways to improve backed by a hard working management team-and we still have a chance of getting up to 7th.

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johnw
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RE: Saturday: VCD Athletic- Hastings United
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I do not think we are as far off as people think Tim. We need to keep what we have, and add a central defender, possibly a midfielder depending on how Sam Cole and Antonio get on, and definitely a striker and we will be there, I am sure of that. The last five games we have taken 8 points from a possible 15 (4 away games in there), which most will say is par for the course, but during those 5 games we have totally dominated the opposition for 70-80% of the game and made an incredible amount of chances. For those that haven't been there it has been almost embarrassingly one sided at times in all games. That takes some doing 5 games in a row with a team averaging under 21 years of age. With a season behind this new team and the addition of two or three quality signings that 8 points is 15 next season, I have no doubt. In fact, as already said, a Frannie Collin or Billy Medlock and we have 15 points from last 5 games, no problem, so the team is getting there and arguably we are just a top striker away.

Other supporters may be in disagreement with me but I love the style of football we are playing. To see defenders confident with the ball at their feet, 15-20 pass moves and to see Charlie Horlock's first thought is to roll the ball out to his full back rather than hoof down the park is how it the game should be played....but that is only my opinion. My old mate Geoff loves good long ball but I don't miss those horrible days and performances pre the Darren Hare era.

We have only had one home game in the last month against a pretty average looking Molesey but I think and hope supporters will be pleasantly surprised of the improvements the team have already made since the Greenwich game when we take on Ashford and Hythe at the Pilot Field over the next two weekends. We just have to take our chances!!

 

 



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timbjones
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Agree with John about playing passing football provided there is some end result. In some games Hastings pass the ball around in their own half for about a dozen times and then hoof it upfield. Pointless passing and possession. I would like to see possession and passing stats only being counted when the ball is in the opposition half and commits the opposition.
Not convinced by Chris's claims about our fitness levels and running opposition sides off their feet. Some of our team are pretty stationary during a game unlike, for example, Sam Adams who never stops.
As for needing 2 or 3 players to make us into a promotion team, I would think that applies to most of the teams in our league.
Need to go all out for seventh place and see what happens next season when, hopefully, we will have the same management team in place.

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