CROWBOROUGH 2-2 (3-1 PENS) HASTINGS
Having already beaten Crowborough Athletic on home soil this season 4-3 and playing the hosts at the early stage of the competition this time last year – Hastings United went into Tuesday’s game looking to continue their fine run of form.
Ringing the changes from Saturday’s FA Trophy win against Dulwich Hamlet, saw ten changes being made to the starting eleven with only Delwin Duah starting back to back games whilst other first team players, Trevor McCreadie, Ayo Olasimbo, Warren Mfula and Emmanuel Abudiore also got a start.
First half:
Both teams made a lively start to the game playing at a fast pace. Former Hastings player Finley Chapman was causing all sorts of problems down the left wing and after a few teasing balls into the Hastings penalty box, it was important Hastings were switched on to his deliveries.
After the result of a Hastings free kick ended up in the side netting, Warren Mfula had the first attempt on target reacting quickest to a flick on before driving inside the penalty box and getting a shot away with forced a save from the Charlie Holmwood in the Crowborough goal and went behind for another set piece.
This time the U’s took their second bite at the cherry with Delwin Duah opening his account for Hastings, heading the ball into the bottom corner of the Crowborough goal and putting Hastings1-0 up. Crowborough responded with a long ball which caught out the two Hastings centre back’s and with Rushaar Samuel-Smickle controlling the ball and looking to get a shot away, he delayed
shooting and instead played a cross field pass out to Fin Chapman who cut in on his right foot with his effort flashing narrowly wide of the left hand post.
That gave Hastings a wake up call as moments later, a risky pass from just outside the Hastings penalty box saw the U’s in trouble, only for captain on the evening Ollie Palmer to produce a superb recovery tackle and deny an equaliser before half-time.
Down the Hastings left and the lively Olasimbo was giving the Crowborough right back a run for his money with his movement and speed on and off the ball and having already seen quite a bit of the ball, he was unfortunate not to double the U’s lead after managing to bring the ball forward from a counter attack and upon entering the penalty box and getting a shot away was denied at the last second by the Crowborough goalkeeper.
Crowborough were still pursuing an equaliser and with a shot coming off a Hastings player and then having a free kick blocked, it was certain there would be more to come in the second half.
Second half:
From one end of the pitch to the other, and a Hastings attack got halted in the Crowborough half and after a passage of play in the middle third, the ball was pulled back for Finlay Nwanosike to strike a low effort from just outside the penalty box into the bottom corner levelling up the score.
Hastings came forward down the left with Mfula managing to find Olasimbo with some impressive improvisation on the overlap, and with Olasimbo playing the ball across the penalty box, all that was needed was for a player in white to be there and put the ball away.
United went forward again with Olasimbo combining with Mfula with the latter then playing in Blaise Uwandji who pulled the ball back to Mfula but a rolled effort at goal was easy for Holmwood in the Crowborough goal to gather.
After a period of quietness in the Hastings half, Crowborough then started to pile on immense pressure with an attack down the Hastings left saw the ball being played across to the outside of the penalty box and a calm and copy first time finish from Finlay Nwanosike saw a replication of what he did earlier but this time putting The Crows 2-1 up.
Further pressure was being put on Hastings who were under a spell of dominance at a free header
from Brady Ayoola was caught by the Hastings goalkeeper who then had to be alert to a low shot
which had some power behind the ball only to then react quickest to not one but two strikes from
close range, before pulling off an impressive low one handed save to keep the ball out from a Fin
Chapman shot that was nestling for the bottom corner.
Another goal was certainly coming and after a lengthy period of having not seen the ball or
holding onto it for a while – Ayo Olasimbo found some wriggle room down the left before cutting
inside and getting a shot away going narrowly wide after beating two players.
Crowborough would have been ruing some of the chances they did not put away at 2-1 as they were eventually made to pay the price eleven minutes from normal time when Hastings went on an attack down the right, and a cross went over the head of the Crowborough captain Jack Mayhew only for Ayo Olasimbo to be in the right place at the time time. This time, after pulling the ball back inside the penalty box, there were plenty of players from both teams in there and a strike went into the bottom corner from another first ever Hastings goalscorer on the evening – this time Emmanuel Abudiore levelled up the game.
The action was far from over with Crowborough going on one last attack which resulted in one
last attack for both teams – Jonathan Saunders in the Hastings goal keeping out a low shot before
Ayo Olasimbo played in Warren Mfula who placed his shot into the side netting.
United almost won the game with virtually the last kick after one final attack in the Crowborough
half saw Emmanuel Abudiore have a quick glance up and attempted to catch the keeper off his
line with a dipped effort which only the slightest of fingertips denied him scoring his second and
giving Hastings a win at the death.
2-2 at Full time and so the game was decided by a penalty shoot out. With the first two Hastings penalties saved before Ayo Olasimbo scoring Hastings’s only penalty on the evening, Hastings were eventually defeated 3-1 on penalties.
A hard fought performance from a new look Hastings team on the evening however attention turns back to league matters this Saturday with a big game for Hastings who take on South Park away from home before facing Burgess Hill Town on Tuesday evening for the start of the Sussex Senior Cup.
Match Report: Tom Dyson-Laurie
