Archive

Dr Martens League Eastern Division 2000-01

Season 00/01

Reports 00/01

2/12/00 Billericay Town (1) 2 Hastings Town (1) 2 [FAT2]

Good to get away!

Simmonds 6,48

Att:- 401

There y'ar - what did I say at the end of the Langney match report? Yet again, Town have taken on a side from a higher league and done us proud with this draw at Ryman Premier Billericay.

My match report is sketchy I'm afraid. My railway shift work proved too big an obstruction and 12 hour night shifts just don't fit in with away fixtures. I relied on Roger Sinden's match summary on ARROW FM it sounded quite a game. I believe the replay is on Tuesday night - bloody shift work again - I'm late turn. Must try and sort something out.

We'll know by then who awaits in Round 3 if we can win the replay.

More to follow asap - including the latest on the "Hastings White" saga.

SS

According to the Langney programme, the replay will be on Tuesday 7:45 at the Pilot Field, which means that the game against Chelmsford will be postponed.

5/12/00 Hastings Town P Billericay Town P [FAT2r]

Tonight's game was called off. In the draw for the next round, the winner of this tie will be away to either Ford Utd or Bogna Regis Town.

6/12/00 News

"Hastings White"

In Ghost 27, I wrote an article in which I suggested that I knew the identity of someone who calls himself "Hastings White" - I thought it might be Dave Shirley, who as Mo the Mog, used to contribute articles to the fanzine some years ago.

Having subsequently seen the e-mail sent to Karl Horton by this mystery person (e-mail sent at 3.00 am, address withheld) - I then had doubts about it being Dave. Whatever views I might have about those people in Hastings who abandoned ship for Dover when things weren't too good here, the puerile and grammatically challenged way that e-mail was put together, made me think as soon as I read it, no way would Dave write tripe like this.

Dave can actually string a sentence together - and he has done just that in a lengthy letter to me which I received on Saturday morning, 2 December. Dave labelled the letter private and confidential - which is a shame because I'd like to have put it on the website - but I have respected his wishes. Dave Shirley makes it clear in his letter that he is not "Hastings White" - so, in that respect, and in that respect only - I owe him an apology. I wrote back to him on Saturday, I apologised for getting that wrong - and made it clear that other than that, I stand by every word I wrote in Ghost 27.

As for "Hastings White" - whoever you are. My comments appeared in the Hastings fanzine along with my home address, my e-mail address and a mobile phone number - in total contrast to your fatuous comments which you sent at the dead of night with no e-mail address. How you can put together such complete, puerile b*ll*cks - and then finish it off by telling me to "grow up" is something else.

Anybody who might want to take issue with anything I put in the fanzine or on the website is entitled to air his/her views in reply. Your e-mail has been put on this site and it will appear in Ghost 28 (I'm always looking for amusing bits and pieces for the fanzine, anyway. Thanks.)

BITS'N PIECES

Is he going or isn't he? Tony Burt. Langney Sports want him back, they've put in a seven day letter of approach and in Friday's Clubcall, Tony Cosens clearly wasn't expecting Burty to be at Billericay the following day. But he played and played well from what I've been told. "Personal reasons" are behind his discontent apparently - whatever they might be.

And talking about discontent - there is just that in the changing room so I'm reliably informed. Apparently, George Wakeling's management style is proving a bit too much for some of the players. Odd isn't it? The team has gone through a dodgy spell of late - but let's face it - apart from that second half against Horsham and the defeat at Corby - they haven't played that badly at all. Yeah - the Histon game was frustrating - but we still created numerous chances - and the boys actually played pretty well against Tonbridge. In those two games , we didn't score a goal - yet must have created ten good chances. With a little bet of luck plus some decent finishing, we could've got another three points from those two games.

For a side that's wracked with discontent, they did bloody well at Ryman Premier Billericay on Saturday - I wish I'd made it for what was apparently a very good effort and a great game of football. Does it matter if the players aren't overly keen on the manager? If he gets results with his style - so what? I've heard that Chris Kinnear is that kind of manager - and look what he's done in recent years - a Southern Division title at Dover followed by two Premier Division championships - and Margate, his current lot - top of the DM premier.

If George Wakeling can get that elusive striker - and he's looking hard - then who knows?

SS

Bogna won against Ford last night.

16/12/00 Dartford (1) 1 Hastings Town (0) 0

Town under achieve yet again

Att:- 192

Walking round to the end we were to be attacking, I muttered to anyone in earshot, "Let's hope we do better than we did here last season". Back in August 99, we 'd found ourselves 0-4 down after 27 minutes as Dartford stuffed us to a turn.

This time, we held out till the 2nd minute when a break down the middle resulted in Kess conceding his 3rd penalty in consecutive league games (yes - our last DM game was at home to Tonbridge on 11 November). The spot kick was put away - and Kess picked up a yellow card.

Dartford have been struggling at the bottom of the league all season. They didn't look all that special this afternoon - but they were by far the better side, their keeper didn't have a serious save to make till the 75th minute while our man of the match was Kess who pulled off several fine saves including a second penalty late in the game. If it hadn't been for Kess who really pulled the stops out after the penalty save, we'd have been looking at another hammering from a Dartford side that is showing worrying signs of turning into a jinx team for us.

Town - as we have seen so many times this season - had a good spell with plenty of decent football in the first half - but it kept falling apart in the Dartford box with our only real attempt on goal being Mylie's header from a Macca free kick. Simmo was out suspended so George Wakeling tried a Jones/Honey combination up front. Jonesie isn't firing on all cylinders at the moment - and as for Chris Honey - WHEN is he going to get that elusive first goal? When he first got into the team, he looked really promising and if he couldn't get that goal, he'd still be working really hard and contributing to the team - but the longer the goal drought goes on for Chris, the more his confidence and overall game appear to suffer.

And this all serves to illustrate what our problem is - scoring goals. We've conceded 19 in 14 games - that's not so bad - but we've only scored 22 - and our last four DM games have seen us score one lousy goal - and that from a central defender. Right now, I've given up trying to find out the other results - but will soon start doing so again because if we're not careful, we'll end up leaving this bloody Division at the wrong end. We are much closer to the County League end of the DM Eastern than the Premier Division end.

Aussie midfielder, David James, came on for the second half and looked ok - he had a couple of decent attempts on goal and no doubt, George will need another look at him. Prior to this game, he hadn't even been able to train properly because of the abysmal weather of late.

Billericay await on Tuesday night. Today's performance was pretty dismal - things can only get better - can't they?

SS

Apologies for the late update - KH

19/12/00 Hastings Town (1) 1 Billericay Town (1) 2 [FAT2r]

More Pilot Field gloom

Ferguson 36

Att:- 317

What a dismal season this is turning into. Promotion? Not a chance. FA Cup and Sussex Senior Cup competitions - both resulting in exits at The Pilot Field and now the FA Trophy sees us bundled out - yet again on home turf. The bare statistics show 8 defeats this season - six of them at home.

But - BUT - having said all that, give the boys credit for putting on a vastly improved performance against Ryman Premier opposition. Billericay went into a 3rd Round tie at Bognor thanks to a smash and grab, breakaway goal in the 82nd minute - that after Town had dominated virtually all the second half.

The game started badly. Billericay looked pretty lively and after 10 minutes went 1-0 up after Shwan - deputising for Kess who was held up by rail delays - made a hash of a clearance and brought down a Billericay striker. 0-1 and that was the 6th penalty we've conceded in our last 5 games. How the circle turns - remember those 20+ penalties we were awarded last season?

While Billericay looked lively down both flanks, Town came back into the game after their poor start and deservedly equalised on 36 minutes after good work by Jonesie and Simmo resulted in Steve Ferguson (in for Duncan who was out injured) heading home Simmo's cross. Town might've taken the lead shortly afterwards when Simmo's deflected effort was held by Gavin King in the Billericay goal.

Town were to dominate the second half - but never actually created a solid chance. We've seen so much of it this season - loads of good approach work but nothing to show for it where it matters. Jonesie and Simmo both had good games tonight - but with that old, old problem of nobody on hand to take advantage - it was all to come to nowt.

Somehow, the Billericay goal survived a couple of scrambles and it really seemed that Town would eventually get the winner - then came that late sickener. Quick break out of defence - and in no time there was a cross flying across Shwan's goal and put away for the decider.

SS

What now, George?

To say there are mutterings of discontent amongst Town supporters is no exaggeration. Certainly amongst the mob I watch the football with. The bare bones of George Wakeling's short reign to date, don't make good reading. Let's start with the successful FA Cup replay at home to Folkestone - and some might argue with starting with that one - but here we are:-

                        P     W     D     L     F - A 
Home                    7     2     1     4     7 - 12
Away                    6     2     2     2    10 -  7
       -----------------------------------------------
Total                  13     4     3     6    17 - 19
       -----------------------------------------------

A new manager takes over. He will want to do things his way - and it's unrealistic to expect things to change overnight. But we've played 13 games with the new man in charge - and the figures don't lie. OK - you have to accept that once the team runs out, it's largely out of the manager's hands till half time. But look at those numbers!

Perhaps it's motivation. We have a squad as good as any in the Eastern Division. It's based on a squad that performed superbly at Premier Division level less than two years ago. It's a squad that CAN be motivated to produce the goods - and when you look back to early 99 when the future of the club was in doubt and all was doom and gloom - the team, under Dean White, rolled up collective sleeves and got on with playing football and picked up some outstanding results. One game that springs to mind - we didn't actually win it - but the performance that night in front of a dismal 288 attendance, against a very good Bath City outfit who were a goal up after less than a minute, was exceptional.

And - for those who no longer watch Hastings Town and think I harp on too much about the result being all important - the performance in that 2-2 draw was top grade material. So - why can't a squad based on the same group of players that has proved itself well capable of competing against Premier Division opposition - and that includes the 5 games against higher grade opposition this season - come up with the goods now?

The attendance for the Billericay game was 317 - that means'317 part time managers were watching. We all have our views about this tactic and that formation and as we turn up and pay our money at the gate, we're entitled to our views. One thing for sure - the problem that has been glaringly obvious since August last year remains unsolved. And then you read in the Sunday paper (after a dismal performance at Dartford) of Dave Arter coming on for Tonbridge when they've gone a goal behind at Spalding late in the game - and banging in a hat trick to win the game.

The two big problems are basically a squad not performing to it's potential - too many indifferent performances - and that lack of fire power up front. That's 10 games played since stuffing Erith 5-1, only twice have we scored more than one goal and if we're honest, the only good performance was the display at Billericay while the replay saw Town more than hold their own. I say honest because the Trophy win at Gravesend - while being a good performance on a bog of a pitch - was against a side that had to have half a mind on a big FA Cup tie the next Saturday. Two good performances in 10 games with the squad we've got?

How long can this go on?

SS

00/01 pointed hat award goes early

Danny Nemorin-Noel, the referee for the two Billericay games. Hopeleslly inept at New Lodge Lane, and equally incompetent in the replay. You have to wonder at the people in charge who saw fit to give this guy a whistle and note book. Hopelessly out of his depth, decisions against both sides that beggared belief - Mr Nemoron-Noel's two performances are enough before we've even reached the year's end, to secure the pointed hat for 2000/2001.

All that can be said in his defence is that at least his ineptness didn't decide the outcome of the game.

23/12/00 Rothwell Town (0) 0 Hastings Town (1) 1

Jekyll & Hyde!

McArthur 13

Att:- 154

What a good result at Cecil Street. In 9 home DME games, Rothwell had won 8 and scored 39 goals in the process and Town's clean sheet was the first maintained by a visiting side. But isn't the result typical of our topsy turvy season? We're awful at home - P 6, W 2, D 1, L 3, goals 4-8 but on our travels it all looks rather better - P 9, W 4, D 3, L 2, goals 19-11. Chuck in home exits from all the Cups so far, marinate that lot with our two away defeats in a total of 14 games being against sides at the bottom of the table - and Jekyll and Hyde is as good a way of describing it as any.

I didn't make it to this game. Domestic horrors would've resulted what with Monday's shenanigans just round the corner and me working all day Sunday. Add the anticipated road shambles - I had to give it a miss. Second one I've blown out on in the same month.

So - it's ears tuned into Arrow FM and Roger Sinden's dulcid tones. Duncan McArthur got the goal on 13 minutes - a free kick from just outside the area. Terry's going to have to watch out - his set piece monopoly is under severe challenge from Duncan. The Town goal came while playing in a downward direction - those who don't know Cecil Street, and they're pretty lucky in that respect, will also be unaware the pitch has a huge slope. Town had other chances in that first half but Macca and Jonesie failed to convert them. Must've been an interesting second half battling against Rothwell and the force of gravity.

Well played boys - and isn't it nice to end that winless sequence of 5 games.

BOXING DAY Preview

Town vs St Leonards

Whatever people might think about the current two club set up in Hastings - this is the most local of local derbies you'll get with the clubs physically separated by a long punt downfield. Opinion is divided in the town - some want the clubs to go it alone and preserve their identities while others think the only way forward is with one club representing Hastings at a decent stadium.

I fall into the latter category - but that doesn't mean I don't look forward to the two St Leonards games. There's been a little more spice in this fixture of late after the events of the summer of 1999 when St Leonards were emphatically unconnected with off pitch attempts to secure the demise of Hastings Town.

Both clubs have been on poor runs - St Leonards bad sequence of results being rather longer and more dismal - but both bad runs came to an end on Saturday. St Leonards stuffed Corby (who haven't done too badly of late) 8-2 and that will gee them up a treat for Tuesday at The Pilot Field.

Let's just hope our boys haven't forgotten Boxing Day last year when they got Paxoed up the road - and let's also hope they haven't forgotten how they went about about putting that right in the return in April this year.

Up the Saints - yeah - right up!

SS

26/12/00 Hastings Town (0) 0 St Leonards (0) 0

No end to Pilot Field goal drought
in Hastings derby stalemate

Att:- 704 (wrongly stated earlier as 744, sorry!)

Town's appalling home form will be the reason we look back in May for the reasons our season went pear shaped. We've now played seven home League matches and scored a measly four goals, and are by a country mile, the lowest producers of home goals in the division. Our last success was on Oct 24 when Tony Burt's effort was enough to beat Langney. Yet - on our travels - not including today's games - only two sides have scored more than us on their travels.

And for all that - that negative home goal difference (- 4) could've been wiped out after as one sided a first half as you'll ever see. St Leonards were never in the game and had it not been for two fine tip over saves by Graham Bannatyne plus two bad finishes by Steve Yates - they would have deservedly been buried by half time.

Yet - St Leonards might've made something out of a Kess fumble after just 7 minutes when he failed to gather a long punt cleanly - but the ball was scrambled clear. Town completely dominated after that and Duncan McArthur brought out the first of those two great saves from Bannatyne on 17 minutes. Good work down the right by Paul Jones set up Steve Yates who was clear on goal but his effort curled round Bannatyne onto a post and back to Jonesie who's resulting effort was cleared off the line. Yatesie broke into the box on 31 minutes but his one on one resulted in a slice well wide of the post. Jonesie then tried to lob the keeper a minute or so later but was closed down before getting his direction right. Macca tried that corner routine late in the half - well placed effort going to the top left corner - and well tipped over again.

Unbelievably it was 0-0 at half time. And how many times have we seen a side playing well - and Town had played well in that first half apart from their finishing - come out for the second half and find themselves unable to re-establish that momentum? St Leonards were still so anonymous - and that second half degenerated into a dull stalemate - the kind of game we've seen before where the away side breaks away and nicks it.

It all got even more negative when St Leonards went down to 10 men after Keith Miles (who hadn't been on long) was sent off for a crude challenge on Steve Yates. That was on 67 minutes. Soon afterwards, decent work down the right by Mylo resulted in a cross which caused complete mayhem in the St Leonards 6 yard box - and as usual - nobody on hand to take advantage. 76 minutes gone and St Leonards went down to 9 men when Flanagan was red carded for a second yellow.

Town were still unable to take advantage and even though they did have the ball in the net on 85 minutes - the flag had long been up for off side. St Leonards' attitude to the game was summed up when - in the last minute after they actually put the Town goal under some pressure of sorts (their first serious attempt on goal, indeed their ONLY serious attempt, didn't some till the 75th minute) - having won a free kick on the corner of Town's box - the ball was knocked sideways to Simon Fox who took it straight to the corner flag to waste time. Yeah, yeah - we'd have probably done the same.

No Tommy Osborne today and new signing David James - who I'm told had a great game at Rothwell - only lasted about 10 minutes before going off with a head injury. St Leonards, to a man (er, those that were still out there), punched the air in triumph at the final whistle - but the reality was yet again all about Town's profligacy in the opposing area. Those home stats say it all and that's why we'll be playing Eastern Division clogball again next season.

SS

31/12/00 Hastings Town P Baldock Town P

If anyone is wondering what to do with the bit of paper (you'll have got one if you signed the petition against building on the Pilot Field) received from the council recently: revised local plan policy for the Pilot Field, worry no more. The club's advice is to reply by ticking the Withdraw Objection box.

Next update be probably be late on Tuesday, have a nice New Year.

KH