Ashford United 1-2 Hastings United - The league's not over! Anyone who thinks Hastings have won the league at the end of January are crazy, says Ashford United assistant manager Alex O'Brien

Ashford United 1 – 2 Hastings United
Location	Homelands Stadium, Ashford Road, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN26 1NJ
Kickoff	29/01/2022 15:00

ASHFORD UNITED  1-2  HASTINGS UNITED
Isthmian League South East Division
Saturday 29 January 2022
Stephen McCartney reports from Homelands Stadium

ASHFORD UNITED assistant manager Alex O’Brien insists the title race is not over after losing the top-of-the-table clash against Hastings United.

A crowd of 1,134 flocked through the turnstiles at Homelands Stadium to see Gary Elphick’s side put in a hard-working and resilient performance and had more desire levels in key battles all over the pitch than Tommy Warrilow’s hosts.

Starting on the front foot, leaders Hastings United took an early lead through right-wing-back Tom Chalmers’ sixth goal of the season before Ashford United headed in an equaliser on the stroke of half-time when substitute striker Luke Burdon notched his fourth goal of the season, which was the home side’s first real goalscoring chance of the game.

However, Hastings United sealed a big three points just 10 minutes into the second half through holding midfielder’s Ryan Worrall’s drilled finish and Ashford United couldn’t salvage anything from the game despite pressing for an equaliser.

Hastings United - who lost 3-2 at home to Haywards Heath Town last time out - remain at the summit of the Isthmian League South East Division table, having collected 53 points from 25 games, with the four teams in the play-off zone all having a game in hand.

Ramsgate leapfrogged over Ashford United into second-place on 47 points after their 2-0 home win over sixth-placed side Herne Bay.  Ashford United are now in third-place and Haywards Heath Town are in fourth-place, both on 46 points, while Cray Valley slip down into fifth-place on 44 points.

Herne Bay – who suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Ashford United last weekend – have collected 41 points, followed by Burgess Hill Town (41 points from 24 games) and Sittingbourne (40 points from 25 games).  The league campaign is 38 games long.

“To be fair for the supporters, it wasn’t really an entertaining game,” admitted O’Brien, who was sent out by Warrilow for the post-match interview.

“I thought first half-an-hour we didn’t get going at all. It took us a while to get involved in the game, maybe the atmosphere, maybe the game got to us a little bit.

“We’re better than that today, we’re so much better than that today!

“Unfortunately, we gave them two goals, luckily we got a goal just bang on half-time and we thought this would turn in our favour but again we didn’t get going until a little bit too late towards the end.

“Listen, Hastings are a good side. Ever since Chris Agutter took over he shaped Hastings into making them a really difficult side to play against and Gary Elphick’s come straight in with Andrew Brown and they’re a really difficult side to beat and unfortunately today we didn’t ask them enough questions.”

Hastings United started the game on the front-foot and created their first opening after only 137 seconds.

Daniel Hull – who plays in the middle of a back three – lost the ball to a pressing Ben Pope who won his side a free-kick.

A quickly taken free-kick saw Chalmers being played in behind the defence and goalkeeper Jordan Carey came to the rescue by narrowing the angle and making a fine block.

“Whatever game we play in, we say start on the front foot and be aggressive and unfortunately we weren’t today and that put us on the back foot a little bit and you could see the panic,” added O’Brien.

“We weren’t winning our headers, we weren’t picking up second balls and we weren’t clearing our lines and we weren’t turning them at all.

“It looked a little bit awful to watch to be fair until we got going but you can’t wait 30 minutes to string your first pass!”

Daniel Hull lost the ball close to the by-line to Sam Adams (who was making his 599th appearance for Hastings United), and he cut the ball back to Chalmers and he cut into the box and his left-footed angled drive from 16-yards was comfortably held by Carey down on his knees at his near post.

O’Brien added: “Listen, Hastings score goals and what they do, they defend well and they’ve got players in there that know their jobs but they’re a threat going forward.

“We’ve got to be a little bit more aggressive, a little bit more ruthless in the way that we start games.  We didn’t start the game well and it took us a little while to get going.”

Ashford United’s direct style of play wasn’t creating anything in the final third.  

Daniel Hull’s left-footed free-kick in the middle of the park was flicked on by targetman Jay May from the edge of the box which was comfortably gathered by visiting goalkeeper Louis Rogers, making his 100^th appearance for Hastings.

Dominant Hastings United deservedly took the lead with 12:00 on the clock.

Central midfielder Jack Dixon played the ball into Adams feet and he swept a first time pass out to Chalmers on the right. 

Jack Steventon made a last-ditch tackle inside the box to thwart Andrew Sesay before Pope teed up Chalmers to cut onto his right-foot and sweep a right-footed shot past the diving Carey and into the back of the net from 15-yards.

“I don’t think we defended well to be fair, that’s when you just want someone to put their boot through it.  We didn’t look convincing in the tackle at all,” admitted O’Brien.

“We didn’t press, we didn’t press him. He just cut inside and sort of hit it on his right foot. There was no press on the ball at all and it looked like it went through Jordan’s hand. 

“It was a bit of a scrappy goal for us to concede and we weren’t happy with it.  I’ll have to look at it and see where the fault comes from.”

With both sides playing three at the back, Ashford United skipper Liam Friend was relishing his tussle with 16-goal Pope, who worked hard up front on his own for the visitors’.

O’Brien was, however, alarmed that Hastings’ players were winning their key battleground 50-50 duals and showed more desire than the home team.

“It’s annoying because every time I say to them ‘compete for the first ball but win the second ball,’ and unfortunately they done that better than us today.  They won the first ball and then they picked up the second ball.  Little battles where you think we’ve got a chance here and they were coming away with the ball and sometimes that hurts you as a side and that hurt us today,” admitted O’Brien, who never shirked away from a tackle in the middle of the park during his playing days.

“I wasn’t a player but I worked hard and fought for everything and I think in stages of today’s game we didn’t work or fight as hard as Hastings and I think that unfortunately cost us the game.

“Craig Stone was brilliant at the back (for Hastings), he’s strong and they defended well and I’m telling you I thought Liam Friend done well.  I thought Friendy won his headers, I thought his positioning was brilliant and he led by example but we needed others in and around him for 90 minutes to do exactly the same and we fell short of that today.”

Ashford’s direct tactics of playing the ball up to May and Gary Lockyer wasn’t working and Hastings’ players comfortably dealt with the eight long throws hurled into their penalty area by Ashford’s right-wing-back Bradley Simms.

Hastings United were to be denied a second goal with 43:47 on the clock, thanks to a raised flag from assistant referee Kieran Cox.

Left-wing-back Tommy Cooney took a while to walk over towards the corner before swinging in a left-footed delivery from the right and Finn O’Mara’s first bite of the cherry was blocked before sweeping home the rebound but referee Nick Dunn disallowed the goal to deny the former Folkestone Invicta centre-half.

“I think the ball went out of play because the lino put his flag up straight away,” said O’Brien.

“I think it was out of play when he took the corner. I’m not 100% sure but I definitely saw the lino put his flag up straight away for something but yes, we probably rode our luck a little bit there but if it’s gone out of play, it’s gone out of play.”

However, Ashford United grabbed an equaliser, following their third corner of the game, the goal being timed at 47:37, courtesy of Burdon, who had replaced the injured May in the 36^th minute.

Frannie Collin – who played beside Tommie Fagg in midfield – swung in a great delivery with his right-boot from the left and Burdon found a pocket of space in the middle of the box to flick his header across the keeper and dropping into the bottom far corner from 12-yards.

“You look at us, we’re a big side, so we should be dominating more in both boxes but I just thought he done well.  I mean Frannie’s deliveries are brilliant wherever he is delivering the ball is unreal,” said O’Brien.

“Luke done well to get himself a yard in between two defenders and just put it into the bottom corner, which was brilliant and the timings were unbelievable for us because we were hanging on in the first-half and we haven’t really got going but yet we’ve gone in one-all, which probably surprised everyone in the ground.

“Unfortunately, Jay May’s tweaked his hamstring so he’ll struggle with that but listen Luke Burdon’s a good player. He’s very under-rated. He will play a lot more games and he will have a decent future in non-league football because he is like an old-fashioned centre-forward.  He’s strong, he’s good in the air, he’s brave and he works his socks off and that’s ingredients that gets you noticed by other managers and other teams.”

When asked whether Burdon’s goal had changed Warrilow’s half-time team-talk, O’Brien replied: “Not really, not really because we weren’t happy! We were lucky to go in at one-all so we didn’t really change much.  We just demanded the boys to step up the work-rate, step up the competing for the first-ball and start winning the second ball.

“We wanted the midfielders to get on the ball and try to play a little bit more and ask them more of a question, which I think we did but we’re better than that today and that’s the frustrating thing.”

Fagg’s diagonal pass released Simms down the right – after Cooney opened the gate with hesitancy – and his cross was headed away by Craig Stone and came to Lockyer, whose speculative overhead kick from 16-yards out was blocked.

Lockyer was booked for a challenge on Worrall on the half way line and Worrall floated a left-footed free-kick into the Ashford box where O’Mara found space to head straight at Carey.

“The ball was whipped in, he got a bit of space to be fair but a comfortable save in the end because he’s put it straight at him but he’s on his own at the back stick, which is something we’ll have to look at and see how he’s escaped his marker,” added O’Brien.

“They’re a good side, they’re always going to create chances and so are we and that’s the disappointing thing. As much as they are a good side, so are we but we didn’t perform today.”

However, Hastings United were to score the winning goal just 18 seconds later, the goal being timed at 09:45 on the clock.

Carey gifted the ball to Hastings and Chalmers raced towards the by-line down the right before playing the ball inside to Andrew Sesay close to the near post.

The winger cut the ball back for Worrall to drill a first-time right-footed shot screaming into the right-hand corner from 18-yards.

“Again, no real press on that ball. How he got it into feet from the wide area, I’m looking at, I don’t know.  I don’t think that should happen but we had the ball.

“The goalkeeper (Carey) had the ball in his hands, just slow the game down for a second, let’s get our shape. He’s gone to go quick and he’s just thrown it straight to them!

“I’m sure he’ll look back at it and think why has he done that? We didn’t help him out and they’ve scored from it so it’s not like they opened us up, we’ve sort of given the ball away again.”

Hastings United were content to sit on their deserved lead and put men behind the ball which invited Ashford United on in search for an equaliser.

It should have came in the 20^th minute when Simms cut the ball onto his right-foot before delivering a hanging cross from the right towards the near post but the ball was in the air a long time and Burdon rose like a salmon to bury his header, which was blocked inside the six-yard box, an example of the away side’s resilience.

O’Brien said: “Listen, there were a few pinball moments because that’s what happens. They’ll drop a little bit deeper and try to suck everything out of us and try to catch us on the break. 

“We’ll press a little bit higher and we’ll pepper their box a little bit but unfortunately I think they dominated the second ball and they were able to clear their lines without real pressure but we still carved out a few little opportunities.  On other days maybe we take those chances a little bit better but today, unfortunately, our final third quality let us down.”

Hastings substitute James Hull – who played alongside fellow substitute striker Kenny Pogue – played the ball out to Pogue on the right and he also delivered a hanging cross towards the far post and Pope rose up with Steventon and Carey caught the ball as it dropped from the sky.

Daniel Hull was substituted by Warrilow in the 76^th minute and he went with a back four with Steventon slotting in at right-back with Josh Wisson partnering Friend in the centre with Mamadou Diallo dropped back into left-back.

Hastings United also made changes with Marcus Goldsmith moving across to left-back, with Stone and O’Mara in the centre and Chalmers dropping back into right-back.

A hooked pass from Pogue played in Pope on the counter-attack but a sliding tackle from last defender Friend ensured Hastings couldn’t add to their lead as the game entered the final 15 minutes.

Ashford United’s players upped their desire and urgency levels and peppered the Hastings goal for the final embers of this clash between these two heavyweights.

Wisson found space within the right-channel to whip in a cross towards the near post for targetman Lockyer, whose header went up in the air rather than into the top right-hand corner.

Seconds later, the ball came out to Fagg, who unleashed a right-footed drive towards the bottom left-hand corner from 25-yards, which was comfortably held by Rogers, diving low to his right.

“We’re going to create chances, we’re always going to create chances but I’ve seen Faggy hit them from 30-yards and go in the top corner.  I don’t think the keeper pulled off worldies, he just pulled off comfortable saves, made by, if you like, our lack of quality in the final third,” said O’Brien.

Collin exploded into life and threaded the ball through to Burdon, who was stretching to get a left-footed poked shot away but this too was comfortably saved by Rogers, to his right.

Ashford United kept probing and created a couple of goalscoring chances inside six minutes and 28 seconds of injury time.

The big moment came when Wisson whipped in another cross from within the right-channel towards the near post but Burdon planted his header over the crossbar from within the six-yard box.

Referee Nick Dunn blew the final whistle as soon as Rogers caught the ball to deny Wisson scoring with a header after Collin swung in the home side’s fourth and final corner of the game in from the right.

“That’s one when you’re crying out just to go in or just to fall to someone but take nothing away from Hastings, I thought they done extremely well today,” added O’Brien, who was then asked what the mood was inside the home dressing room after experiencing their sixth league defeat of the season.

“Gutted, they’re gutted, they’re very down. A lot of them know they didn’t perform to how they did (at Herne Bay) last Saturday.  The game passed by, they’re devastated in a sense that going in one-all you’ve got a chance but to come out and concede a goal like that, we shouldn’t be conceding, took the wind out of our sails but the bottom line is they kept going and they’ll keep working hard but today, unfortunately, it wasn’t our day.”

When asked about the title race, O’Brien refuses to throw in the towel.

“It is not over, by no means it’s not all over!

“Like I said to the boys, it’s not over, of course it’s not. Anyone who thinks they’ve won the league at the end of January are crazy and I hope supporters, the board and everyone and the players, we just get going again and we march on.

“They’ll be more twists and tales. I’m sure Hastings might drop points but it’s so, so tight there.  Ramsgate are looking, Haywards Heath are looking, there are so many teams that are in and around. If you lose a game all off a sudden you drop two places and if you win a game you go second. It’s going to be right until the end.

“A top-of-the-table clash, it’s always going to be a little bit of a bite between us and Hastings. We’re always in each others faces or in and around each other.

“We know their management really well. We’ve got nothing but love for them but when it comes to football you want to fight, kick and do whatever you can to get it but I’m gutted for the fans.  They’ve got nothing to cheer about going home but like I said the season’s not over.  If you can get behind us until the end of the season then we’ll see where we are.”

With two league defeats in their last three league games, Warrilow and O’Brien take their side to Three Bridges next Saturday, looking for a positive reaction and vastly improved performance.

The thirteenth-placed outfit went down to a 4-3 defeat at second-from-bottom side Lancing today and have collected 27 points from 25 games.

Down at the bottom, Phoenix Sports have 16 points from 25 games, Lancing have 22 points from 25 games and so do third-from-bottom side Whitstable Town.

“Another tough game. I don’t think I’ve ever got in the car with Tom on the way to a game and think we might have an easier game today,” said O’Brien.

“Everyone wants to beat Ashford and everyone wants to beat Hastings. If you’re up there, teams perform, they work hard and I don’t expect anything else from Three Bridges.

“I know it’s going to be difficult. I’m hoping the pitch might suit us a little bit so we can play a little bit better but another hard place to go but you’ve got to try to get something out of every game and that’s exactly what we’re going to try to do.”

Ashford United: Jordan Carey, Bradley Simms, Mamadou Diallo, Daniel Hull (Roberto Ratti 76), Liam Friend, Jack Steventon (Johan Ter Horst 89), Tommie Fagg, Josh Wisson, Jay May (Luke Burdon 36), Gary Lockyer, Frannie Collin.
Subs: Lee Hook, Jarred Trespaderne

Goal: Luke Burdon 45

Booked: Gary Lockyer 54, Luke Burdon 86

Hastings United: Louis Rogers, Tom Chalmers, Tommy Cooney (Kenny Pogue 70), Craig Stone, Finn O’Mara, Marcus Goldsmith, Andrew Sesay, Ryan Worrall, Ben Pope (Knory Scott 89), Jack Dixon, Sam Adams (James Hull 64).
Subs: Ollie Black, Dave Martin

Goals: Tom Chalmers 13, Ryan Worrall 55

Booked: Ben Pope 68, Jack Dixon 68

Attendance: 1,134
Referee: Mr Nick Dunn
Assistants: Mr Ryan Chantrill-Smith & Mr Kieran Cox