First of all congratulations to our supporters Shannon and Gary on winning todays 50/50 with ticket 28419 prize £140.50. As for the game had enough chances to win, but not to be. Onto Wingate next week.
Slightly ashamed to admit that yesterday’s game was the first that I have seen all season, but from some of the vaguely positive comments that I have heard and read from others about how things have improved a bit of late, it makes me horribly glad that I hadn’t attended previously.
I thought that it was an awful match, between two awful teams, on a regrettably awful playing surface, and I am sorry to say that it is really difficult to believe that it could possibly have been an improvement on earlier performances.
There is always a chance that I nodded off and missed something, but I counted Davide’s header against the bar from a corner, followed by Kian’s effort from the rebound, and Ben’s later free kick from 25 yards, as our only opportunities across the 90 minutes. So nothing at all from open play at all, which is pretty alarming.
And while the clean sheet was certainly very welcome, it owed much to some occasionally woeful Dulwich finishing in the second half, when they looked just about the more likely to score, and that one excellent save from Louis in the first half, of course. It frankly felt like a day on which both sides were lucky to get nil.
We keep hearing a lot about how one positive result will hopefully be a springboard to a run that will spare us from relegation, but it is hard to imagine that a tedious goalless stalemate will provide the type of boost that we appear to need.
It just seemed that we had to set ourselves up to be ultra-defensive in order to not concede, and to therefore not risk losing, but that was at the expense of us offering even the slightest attacking threat. With thirteen games left, there is clearly still time to turn things around, but we desperately need to find a way of retaining the sensibly cautious defensive approach, while adding something at the other end of the pitch, because 0-0 draws are unlikely to rescue us now. Fingers crossed that Danny can solve that little riddle before it becomes mathematically too late.
I think it very unlikely that Hastings will avoid relegation and, assuming the worst, I wonder what sort of a side we will have next season. Ideally, Danny would stay as manager as he has improved things - surprising as that may seem Sean! We are not far off a side that would do well in the lower league _ with a few additions. but the reality is it seems likely that the majority of the players and the manager will leave. Things have looked bad since that awful Sussex Cup Final defeat and there haven't been many positives this season. One has to be our attendance figures which are pretty remarkable considering our performances. We have been badly hit by the injuries to Tom Chalmers and Sam Cruttwell. Getting prompt medical treatment for players in a side like Hastings is a real problem A shame the FA or the premier league couldn't put aside funds to help non-league sides access private health provision for players. Wingate and Finchley tomorrow- hoping for 3 points and a positive performance to cheer up all our supporters and players!
