You look at a 1-1 draw away from home against a Stamford side lying 5th in the league, you'd say that on paper that wasn't a bad result - but I would suspect the boys were probably a bit disappointed they didn't return home with all three points in the bag. The four of us in the Westbrookmobile certainly were on the 157 mile trek back to Hastings. Incidentally - our last three league games - all away - have all ended 1-1 AND the combined mileage of those games totals just under a thousand in what laughingly passes for a regionalised division.

No Jonah or George - still without Simmo - and Tony Burt apparently carrying a knee problem - but the team that ran out onto a very windy and sloping Newflame Stadium pitch were to put in a good performance on an afternoon when that wind was to make goal kicks a real challenge. I don't think King Dave managed to get over halfway in the first half with his counterpart having similar problems in the second half.

Town have a good record against Stamford who've always been very adequate in their three seasons in this division. And for much of that opening 45, things didn't look as if they were going to be much different as they dominated the game and managed to play some very decent football in difficult conditions. As early as the 3rd minute, Martin Eldridge had a chance when set up nicely by Chris Honey who was to have another fine game. But Martin's shot was weakly hit and the keeper had little difficulty with it.

1-0 on 8 minutes and a fine move to set it all up as Town broke out of defence and Macca's cross found Landry (some more unbelievable first touches from our Frenchman) at the far post and his header across the goal fell perfectly for an unmarked Yatesie to finish off from close in. As good a team goal as you'll see all season. It was to be a case of Town applying pressure virtually all that half with Stamford's one serious effort on goal coming from a wind assisted punt that caught the defence napping. Good chances were to fall to Chris who's cross shot spun frustratingly in front of the goal and away - a bad clearance fell to Burty who fired high over the bar and on 33 minutes, Duncan's excellent free kick was well saved at the foot of a post.

Stamford came out in a more determined frame of mind for the second half - but it still came as a shock to the sizeable Town contingent when they equalised on 54 minutes. A cross from the right landed with pinpoint accuracy for their 9 to have time to control the ball and fire home off a post. For about 10 minutes Town had to concentrate on defence as Stamford's confidence had gone up visibly - but once the storm had been weathered without any more real frights - our boys took the game back to Stamford once again and it'll be a mystery for all time that the domination in that last 20 odd minutes didn't result in another goal.

In the middle of all that, Paul Ruddy was booked for a heavy challenge which seemed to spark off handbags - and the Stamford 5 was lucky not to be even spoken to for kicking Macca. After the furore died down - it was back to the football and it was all Town. Landry got to the byline and fired in a cross which ricocheted off a home defender straight into the keeper's hands, Flanners headed a corner against the crossbar, Mylie fired wide and on 85 minutes a sweeping move across the area's edge saw Macca set up Yatesie but the keeper did just enough to put Steve off and his effort flew high and wide.

Yeah - frustration all round. They had two efforts on goal - they were the home side on a good run and our boys dominated for 80 minutes - but what happened in that other 10 minutes meant they didn't get the rewards they deserved. But these things do even themselves out - just look at some of the games we've won with late late goals etc.

Dorchester won 2-0 at home to Banbury - and Banbury visit us next weekend. Grantham - just up the A14 - were being stuffed 4-1 by Canvey Island in the FA Trophy - so that's our game in hand used up and we remain second a point behind with Dorchester a point behind us. We still have a game in hand on them - and we play that on Tuesday when the Stains visit The Pilot Field - a "must win" game for numerous, obvious reasons. Grantham also play on Tuesday night - good luck to Burnham as they visit the friendly South Kesteven Stadium.

SS

As depressing as it gets. After going to places like Grantham and Dorchester in recent weeks where we thoroughly deserved the two draws at our main promotion rivals - it just all had to take a big kick in the knackers in the shape of a home defeat at the hands of the Stains. To rub our noses right in it - Grantham came back from 0-1 and 1-2 down at home to Burnham to win 3-2 and open up a four point gap at the top. We also utterly wasted our game in hand on Dorchester who will be rubbing their eyes at this result - a bit like we did when we heard Sittingbourne had beaten THEM a few weeks ago.

Conditions were appalling. Some surprise that the game was given the go ahead after Monday's down pours - we had another one at 7.30 and it came down in torrents in the second half with many supporters grumbling about the referee letting the game continue - and that was well before Des Boateng's well placed effort gave the Stains the lead on 68 minutes. But it reeks of sour grapes to go on about the conditions which were as bad as anything I've seen anywhere in my 26 years following Hastings United and Hastings Town. Those conditions were the same for both sides and I don't think one side coped better than the other. It was a well placed shot that was the difference between the sides - pure and simple.

The two sides managed to put on a good game on an evermore difficult surface. Yatesie fired across the crossbar inside the first minute - panic stations in the Town box on 8 minutes when Boateng hit a post with the ball being hacked clear as it rolled across the goal mouth. Town were to create more opportunities on the night - that second half saw Stains have two efforts on goal of which one was to make all the difference while things were to get more and more frustrating for Town at the other end. In the first half - Yatesie put in a great cross on 25 minutes which the keeper got just enough on to put Landry off while Tony Burt had an effort saved on the line.

So - all square at half time - and it was to become a lottery when torrential rain came down for about 20 minutes which made the efforts of both sides all the more creditable in hugely difficult condtions. Landry went so close from the edge of the box on 47 minutes - his shot along the deck was just wide of a post. While much of the goalmouth action was in the Stains area - that ball just would not sit up and the Stains defenders got stuck right in. The longer the stalemate - the deeper the frustration - and the icing on the cake on 68 minutes when Boateng latched onto a free kick, beat a Town defender and picked his spot just inside Dave's right hand post.

Shortly after the goal - Mylie was replaced by new signing who's Christian name I didn't get - a lad called Hegley who's come to us from Carshalton. Difficult to assess him in conditions like that - especially with things as tense as they were. While Town were unable to create a clear cut chance as such - there were several occasions when shots were underhit - crosses weren't quite low or high enough - that is till the 87th minute when Stuart Playford turned and hooked a shot agonisingly wide of the far post. I think we all knew then it just wasn't going to be our night - and after just a couple of minutes added time - it was all over.

John Cornelius - Stains chairman had been quoted in the Sports Argus as saying that fanzines and websites were talking up the rivalry between the clubs - well, you could see what it meant to his players when that final whistle blew. And amongst those Stains players - "Hastings Town through and through" - one Terry White who came on the second half. Good old Tel - that added an unreal flavour to the whole night. Up till this result my worst moment following Town was the final whistle at Town Mead several years ago as Town lost an FA Cup replay to Crawley - that is now history. Let's just hope we can put this one right when we go to Fort Fun in April for a game that could have massive implications for our promotion aspirations.

This is your depressed correspondent signing off.

SS

After the Stains debacle and two subsequent postponements, Town found themselves off to the cavernous surroundings of Central Park where Sittingbourne awaited - a side that's given us a lot of difficult times since we came up against them for the first time in 91/92. They've probably been our most consistent jinx team even when they've been in the doldrums when all the millions from the sale of their old ground disappeared several seasons ago.

Having beaten them for the first time last season when we won 5-1 at Central Park, the considerable number of HTFC supporters were treated to pretty much the same in what was a very comprehensive victory which ended our peculiar run of four league games without a win. Peculiar? Definitely - draws at Dorchester, Grantham and Stamford - all top five sides - were fine results - and then there was that Stains defeat.........

Still no Jonah who's trying to get that ankle problem from the Arundel Sussex Inferior Cup game sorted - and there had been doubts about Adam Flanagan who'd done himself no good by falling downstairs according to the Observer. But Flanners did turn out - and the unfortunate manner he incurred his injury will, of course, be looked at in Ghost 32 which'll be out in a few weeks.

Yes - this was a comprehensive win and King Dave should be docked his money for this game because he had hardly anything to do in goal with Sittingbourne generally pretty toothless once they got anywhere near our box - which wasn't very often. Town went close after 2 minutes when Flanners saw a shot pushed wide after the home defence didn't clear their lines. A minute later, he made amends when he fired home from close in following a corner.

On another day, Flanners might've had a hat trick as he proved once again what a good signing he was back in August. Solid in defence and good for goals in attack - what else could you want from a centre half? He could've had a second on 23 minutes when after Monster had headed on a corner, he put the chance just wide. A fine move saw Town double their lead on 30 minutes - Mylie released Steve Yates down the right and Steve's fine cross was missed by everyone except Tommy O who appeared to bundle the ball over the line at the far post with his shin.

Shouts for a penalty on 44 minutes when Tony Burt was shoved as he went up for a corner - so Town went in 2-0 up and looking well in control.

Landry - by his standards - was to have a quiet game - but still had his moments. A tight offside decision robbed him of what might've been a goal as he bored into the box - and he was to have one disallowed early in the second half for pushing when he headed in a free kick. Monster had another good game. Unbelievably there are still those who don't rate Chris - who for his age (19?) - does a hell of a lot of good work. Sure - there've been games when he hasn't looked in it - but the excellent performances far outweigh the indifferent ones. Nobody - at any level - does it week in and week out (Bobby Robson said that himself the other day - see - he agrees with me). Chris is a big asset - and is playing a big part in this season.

And he was to make it 3-0 with 20 odd minutes to go when he outjumped the keeper to send in a looping header from a Macca free kick. He was to put in a cross that Tommy O nearly got on the end of, Macca tried an outrageous freekick from 40 yards that almost caught the keeper out and Simmo who'd come on for the second half was to fire wide late in the game as Town threatened to make it a five goal return again.

Well played boys. And didn't the other results go for us as well? OK - Dorchester beat Eastbourne 2-1 to go top and we might still be third - but Gruntham lost 1-2 at Bashley after leading at half time and Histon lost 0-1 at Banbury while Fisher's outside prospects took a tonk with a 1-2 defeat at Stamford. Nothing's definite yet - not till the last week in April - but after that Stains defeat and knowing that Gruntham had beaten Burnham 3-2 the same night to open up a four point lead at the top - things looked a bit grim with the possibility that the gap could be seven points last Saturday - but Eastbourne did us a big favour and the Bashley result makes the promotion battle even more interesting. The top three all play on Tuesday night - we take on Dartford at The Pilot Field, Gruntham are at home to Stamford and Dorchester are at Spalding. Mobile phones will be glowing red hot that evening.

A vital win for Town against a Diretford side that clearly came for a draw and gave Dave virtually nothing to do in goal. We've struggled against them since we came across them again back in 99/00 when they mullahed us at Purfleet where they were sharing at the time. But things have picked up a bit of late and this - our third successive win in this fixture - is the most important to date.

The rain held off all day - till just before kick off - bit like the Stains game. But it never came down like it did a fortnight earlier - but enough to make decent football difficult to achieve. What there was came from Town as Dartford packed their box in numbers.

A goal was so near in coming after just 54 seconds - Yatesie broke down the right and put in a cross that just evaded Flanners's head at the far post. Our old keeper, Tony Kessell, was in goal for Dartford and had a good game. He was well placed on 12 minutes as Stuart Playford brilliantly back headed a corner under the bar. Landry - who must be aching to play on a decent pitch - showed his usual good touches on a difficult surface and he was part of a great move out of defence with Rudds either passing to Tommy O - or shooting hopelessly wide - in the box only for Tommy to be unable to control the ball. That was the move of the game - starting back on the edge of the Town box.

A fine Macca run was ended abruptly with supporters behind the goal and in the stand clammering for a penalty - and having looked at the video - they appeared to have had a valid point - but it took several looks and to be fair to the officials (and we often aren't) - they didn't have the chance to look at it again. Whatever - it WAS just inside the box - so Dartford got away with that one.

Frustratingly 0-0 at half time and it wasn't long before mobile phones were being tapped on feverishly and the news wasn't good - Grantham 1-0 up at home to Stamford while Dorchester looked home and dry, 3-1 ahead at Spalding. And frustration was just about the right word to sum up the game as the second half progressed with Town unable to make that vital breakthrough.

It was always going to need something special to break the deadlock and it came on 69 minutes as Landry set up Stuart Myall who fired in a fine angled shot that Kess did even better to beat out at full stretch - but for a welcome change the ball fell nicely to Yatesie who laid on a pass for Mylie to have a second go and Kess never moved as the ball rocketed into the net. Great move - great passage of play - great goal and a huge cheer from a well packed Elphinstone Road end.

Town coped ok with what Dartford threw at them after that - they were probably their own worst enemies as the tension seemed to get to them as the ball kept being presented back to Dartford - but Dave never had a save to make as Town wrapped up the evening with a well deserved three points.

Even more reason to be pleased in the bar afterwards - while Dorchester had won 3-1 at Spalding - Stamford had equalised in the 82nd minute at Grantham where it finished 1-1, and us above Grantham into 2nd spot with a game in hand on them and Dorchester who are two points clear at the top. Things can always change in no time - and there are a lot of ups and downs to be experienced before the last week in April - but look how grim things seemed after the Stains defeat with Grantham having gone 4 points clear of us........

Finally - even allowing for it being a midweek game, weather dodgy and hardly any away supporters - what a crap attendance. Well placed for promotion - team playing plenty of decent football - all sorts of work being done on the ground - and only 364 through the gates. Let's hope it's considerably better on Saturday.

Maybe we all got it wrong - are we second from bottom of the league looking at Bumpkinship football in 2002/3? Have we been battling relegation all season - never out of the bottom four? You could be forgiven for thinking just that - this attendance was dismal - just 10 more people than what was a poor gate for the midweek game against Dartford. What a fickle lot we have in Hastings.

Having said that - er, the stay aways probably chose as good a day as any to stay away - for this was a poor old game played in blustery conditions. Lots of sunshine - the pitch starting to look as if it might recover from the Stains debacle - and very cold. Perhaps that combined with the inescapable fact that the season is getting to that nerve wracking, tension filled last couple of months was responsible. Town just really got going against a hard working Burnham side that caused very little trouble in our area - the main fright which wasn't really one cos the ball was going wide was when Stuart Playford had to clear a half hit effort that had beaten King Dave. Other than that - what penalty box action there was took place in the Burnham area where their keeper had a good game.

He had to come out sharply to punch away a Mylie cross on 3 minutes - a good bit of goal keeping with Landry bearing down on him. Soon afterwards, Tommy O was carried off with what may be ligament damage. Tommy's misfortune was a golden opportunity for Nick Hegley to show us what he could do - and he didn't do badly at all on the left side. Several penetrating runs certainly bode well for the future - but there will be concern for Tommy's well being. Simmo isn't back in full time action yet - and he had ligament trouble back in November.

An unbelievable scramble in the Burnham area on 27 minutes after Yatesie's cross fell to Landry who's effort was deflected - the ball falling to Mylie who in turn saw his shot beaten away. Following reasonable efforts from Duncan and Monster - the all important goal. Duncan launched a lofted pass from halfway to just inside the box where Flanners climbed to send a great looping header in over the flailing keeper. Duncan was to cause mayhem in the Burnham 6 yard box just before half time when the keeper had real trouble dealing with a wind affected corner right under his crossbar - it took three attempts in as many seconds to get the ball out for another corner as Burnham defended desperately.

The second half was pretty dire it has to be said. Generally one way traffic with Landry showing occasional signs of that brilliance we look forward to. On 47 minutes he fired in a low effort thyat the keeper did well to get a hand to - no Town forward on hand to pick up the rebound. Landry was to have another effort deflected out for a corner - Nick Hegley and Steve Yates went on good runs but the second goal wouldn't come and it was always in the back of Town supporters' minds that Burnham could break away and get a goal - after all they'd run Grantham close a matter of two weeks ago before going down to an injury time penalty. But other than that half hit effort that Stuart cleared - they nevert threatened while Town's big opportunity to double their lead was in the 89th minute following a sublime bit of play from Landry. Wide out he broke into the box - his first effort was blocked by the keeper way out of his goal - Landry picked up the rebound and from an outrageous angle put in a curling effort that would've gone it the far post had it not been for a diving save and punch clear - by the Burnham full back. Unbelievably - referee Knight's blindness was rivalled only by that of his assistant and a corner was all Town got.

The final whistle couldn't come soon enough. This three points came from the game in hand we had on Grantham - without doubt a must win game.