Archive

Dr Martens League Eastern Division 2001-02

Season 01/02

Reports 01/02

1/1/02 Hastings Town P St Leonards P

So - the big freeze just kept on and on and on - but at least things aren't as bad as they were this time last season when we'd only played 16 games or so. But it is bloody frustrating to see games postponed all the same - and whenever this game against the Stains is played - the crowd'll be rather less than it would've been on New Years Day. But it's not as if we were the only ones - every Eastern Division game was nobbled by the weather - same in the Premier and I think it might have been the same in the Western Division.

See y'all Saturday - I hope - still trying to get the day off on Wednesday. And let's get as much support together for the boys with trips to Dorchester and Grantham looming on consecutive Saturdays - the 12th and 19th.

SS

5/1/02 Hastings Town (0) 1 Stamford (0) 0

NERVE WRACKING!

McArthur 73
Att: 476


The Stamford centre half sees an early red (Click to enlarge)

Macca's howitzer does the trick (Click to enlarge)

Town attack out of the fog (Click to enlarge)

Town pile on the pressure (Click to enlarge)

This football business is meant to be a leisure time thing isn't it? Do all the stressful things at work - get all the domestics out the way - then it's off to football at the weekend....... This was truly blood pressure wrecking stuff on a gluepot of a pitch that had thawed out only the previous day when the temperatures finally climbed enough above freezing to make a difference. They say pitches are levellers - maybe that was the case with this game against a Stamford side that only made any effort to venture over halfway once Macca had given Town the lead with as good a long range bomb that you'll ever see - you did see it didn't you? - that fog was making things decidedly difficult by the time Duncan's howitzer gave us that crucial lead on 73 minutes.

What a game Duncan had. He was at the heart of everything as everyone struggled on a difficult pitch. It was all made that much more difficult by Stamford's dogged defence which adopted clogging tactics when their 5 was sent off after 12 minutes for kicking out at Chris Honey after Chris had robbed him of the ball as the centre half tried to see it out for a goal kick. After the referee - who had a difficult game shall we say - had spoken to the assistant, he raised a red card.

Duncan set up Mylie for a good long range effort which the keeper did well to beat out - luckily for him the rebound fell kindly and the ball was hoofed clear. Duncan had the best effort of the first half on 44 minutes - another long range one that crashed back off a post.

It started to get foggy as the second half went by. It all got more and more frustrating for the home support in what was a very respectable gate by Eastern Division standards. News had filtered through that Dorchester's game at Spalding was off and - big surprise this - Grantham were 2-3 adrift at Chatham. Burtie went desperately close from the edge of the box on 56 minutes - inches wide of the angle of bar and post, the bloody ball was always going to swerve just too much.

Just as it looked as if we might never get that vital goal - came that bit of McArthur magic. The result of going a goal down was to see Stamford actually get into Town's half - and while Dave was never really troubled in goal - it was still a nerve wracking final 20 minutes or so before that final whistle went. Big cheer in the stand behind the goal 10 minutes or so prior to the whistle when we found out Chatham were beating Grantham 5-3!

So - we go equal top with Grantham. Histon won 2-0 at Dartford and are just a point behind Dorchester who we visit next weekend with Grantham away to follow a week later.

ON THE PLAYER FRONT

Had the game not been played, we'd have been without Adam Flanagan for the Dorchester game as he would've been suspended for accumulating 5 yellow cards. We had a new signing in the 11 shirt against Stamford - Martin Eldridge - who's a mate of Mylie's at Eastbourne College and comes from Kings Lynn. Not sure if he's actually played for Kings Lynn - but it was a huge surprise that George decided to play him straight away. We thought that as the defence would have to be re shuffled due to Adam's absence, that Lee Mac would come into the side - but he was left on the bench. He did come on in the second half - replacing Martin who made a useful debut. Can't help wondering how long Lee will put up with being on the bench. But that's up to him to produce the goods on a consistent basis - which at Eastern Division level - is well within his capabilities.

PITCH LEVELLER

Incredible but true - Glyn White (long serving manager of the Stains - been there in excess of 6 weeks) was in the Argus on Friday going on that the New Years Day game could have been played and that, basically, Town chickened out taking on the Stains on a pitch that would have levelled out the differences between the sides. The fact that not one DM game in all three divisions was played seems to have evaded Glyn. Or maybe it's just a wind up!

See loads of you at Dorchester.

SS

7/1/02

An excellent new Dorchester Town link, thanks to Kevin Dixon for finding it:

Dorchester Town (Unofficial)

12/1/02 Dorchester Town (0) 1 Hastings Town (1) 1

TOWN PASS BIG TEST

Jones 26
Att: 605 (including Harry Redknapp)


Er, that's 1-1 lads.... (Click to enlarge)

Get behind em, they appreciate it (Click to enlarge)

Nice one Jonah! (Click to enlarge)

The palatial Avenue Stadium (Click to enlarge)

An absorbing encounter at Dorchester's palatial Avenue Stadium. Dorchester had shaded the 0-0 draw at The Pilot Field earlier in the season - this time it was our lads who will probably have thought on the way home that they'd done enough to win this promotion battle - and on chances created, they'd be dead right. The home side played a lot of decent football and kept our defence on it's toes for much of the game - but Dave had little to do in goal and Dorchester created very little in our box while Macca and Mylie went agonizingly close with a couple of good opportunities.

Much of the pre game talk was off Lee Mac's imminent departure to Folkestone which I'll look at in detail after this report. The other player talk was about Landry who was on the bench for this game and seems to be making a good recovery from his facial injury. Once the game got underway, it was soon clear that our defence was going to be up against a rarity in the Eastern Division - a footballing side. But Messrs Burt, Playford and Flanagan were to hardly put a foot wrong.

The first real opportunity fell to Macca in the 9th minute when Mylie did really well on the byline to lay off a ball to Duncan who's effort curled just past Mark Ormerod's far post. A home defender probably did just enough to put Macca off - but that should have been 1-0. One of Mylie's long range efforts nearly destroyed my camera - and came close to decapitating my website colleague Karl Horton*.

Town were to have a lucky escape on 23 minutes as a cross shot flew through the area and wide of Dave's post with nobody on hand to touch it in. With that being the only cast iron opportunity Dorchester were to have in the first half, it was Town who went ahead 3 minutes later - a great opportunist effort from Jonah who having broken clear saw Ormerod off his line and lobbed him from the edge of the box. That ball took a life time to land, bounce and drop over the line off the inside of the post - great goal, Paul (AND captured on film!).

Steve Yates is going through one of his generous phases of late - namely giving the ball away and it was just such a slip on the edge of the Town box that nearly gifted Dorchester an equaliser - but Dave was up to the task and Town took their lead into the interval.

Much the same story in the second 45. Not long after Ormerod had saved an effort from Tony Burt, it was all square after one of those ping pong sequences in our box which saw the ball fall nicely for a Dorchester boot to direct it inside Dave's far post. Town took the blow in their stride and kept plugging away and created more chances - a Macca long range effort was just wide, Rudds went close and sub Martin Eldridge couldn't get any power behind his shot after good approach work by Mylie and Jonah. Yatesie fired just wide after a long throw from Mylie caused problems - and it was to Mylie that the last chance of the game was to fall in the 89th minute when having broken clear of a line of defenders, his well struck effort flew just wide of a post.

At the final whistle, the players turned to acknowledge the very vocal support given by a sizeable Town contingent who were generally agreed that 1-1 was about right. Well played boys - that was a tough one. Grantham were FA Trophy engaged - this point was enough to see Town go back to the top of the league with 52 points.

ON THE PLAYER FRONT

Well - is anyone really surprised that Lee Mac's on his way out? As surmised a week ago, the instant inclusion in the side of Martin Eldridge against Stamford seemed to put more pressure on Lee who has basically been a shadow of the player he should be at this level. Couple of fine goals against Banbury and Bashley perhaps - but on far too many occasions he just looked uninterested or just plain out of it. A huge shame because the guy is massively talented. I suspect Folkestone will find out what we have (twice now) along with Dover. But good luck to Lee all the same.

Landry is coming along nicely and - all being well - might even make the starting line up against Grantham next Saturday. Quite honestly, I think he should go in at Chris Honey's expense because "Monster" has not been in the best form of late. A very indifferent display against Stamford - better against Dorchester - but Chris isn't doing the business like he was in the early part of the season.

Worryingly, Macca went off at Dorchester with what looked like a hamstring problem. Let's hope the physio can sort Duncan out - he's been in great nick lately and we need him at Grantham where another huge test of this team awaits in a week's time.

SENIOR CUP DISTRACTION

Is there any other way to describe Tuesday night's Sussex Senior Cup tie at Arundel? I'm no sports psychologist - but George will surely find it a challenge to motivate the lads for such a game that has fallen slap in between two huge promotion games. It's quite likely that there will be no video coverage of that one. I'm late shift - Paul Rush is in the same boat - so combine that with the general lack of interest in that competition at it's early stages - and it's likely there won't be a great deal written about it. I'll see if I can change shifts - if I can, I'll be there because it's a new ground - it'd be number 95 I think.

But don't hold your breath. Next Saturday sees us off to Grantham - a side that has seen us off on three successive occasions for a goal aggregate of 13-1. We are well due a bit of luck against that lot and if we see a performance anything like that produced at The Avenue Stadium, then there's no reason why we can't get a decent result.

See loads of you at South Kesteven next Saturday. The boys really appreciate the support.

SS

* perhaps Mylie doesn't like the internet, as it almost took out Dave Moore as well. In the future, we'll have to space ourselves more evenly around the stadium.

15/1/02

NON LEAGUE RESTRUCTURING

Here we go again - that old chestnut has come up about the "structure" of football at Conference level and below. The bigwigs get together this weekend, I think it is, to try and put together some sensible proposals - and doesn't the game need them.

Every now and then there is talk of restructuring the full time game and bringing back something similar to the old Division 3 South and Division 3 North set up that used to exist about 40 odd years ago. If people in the professional game think along those lines - and in my opinion quite rightly - then why do we in what is supposed to be a regional set up (part time don't forget) three promotions away have to travel to places like Corby, Grantham, Rothwell, Rugby, Spalding, Stamford and Wisbech? Each of these treks adds up to a round trip of 300 miles minimum - and let's chuck in a 310 mile round trip to Dorchester as well - a Dorchester outfit that is probably still scratching it's collective heads trying to work out how it ended up in the Eastern Division this season.

Sticking with Dorchester - when we went there last weekend - we went past places like Lewes, Bognor, Horsham and Worthing - all Ryman sides that play at either the same or similar standards to us. The Dorchester website - and a very good one too (address on this same page prior to that match report) - also refers to this problem. They have to go to Spalding midweek due to the original game being postponed - apparently a 10 hour round trip! And they say they do more travelling in the Eastern Division than they did in the Premier.

The Southern League is a joke. And I'm not just refering to the rule book obsessed clowns that administer it. While - physically speaking - it might occupy the Southern half of the UK, it can't be right that the likes of us and Dorchester have to spend so much time on the road. Outfits like us - being situated where we are - are always going to be on the outskirts of whatever league we end up in - but if the game was to be restructured into a 4 zone set up - North, Midland, South and West for example - feeding into the Conference - that would make big inroads into our travelling.

It would take a season or two or three for the new system to bed in as teams adjusted - but the standard of football would still be a perfectly decent one and we would see an end to the bloody ridiculous situation that saw us sail on past four potential opponents last Saturday to a game that was to basically to occupy the whole day.

I recall several years ago reading an article in the Torygraph about Torquay going on about the travelling they had to do in the 3rd division - around 8000 miles a season. We were a Beazer Premier outfit then and when I added up our travelling as part timers - it came to around 7400 miles - just 600 less than Torquay. I did an article in the fanzine based on all that - sent it up to the Torygraph not expecting any response other than maybe an acknowledgement only to receive a lengthy letter from the deputy sports editor telling me how he'd been an avid Hastings United supporter in years past!

But I digress. I'm not sure what the travelling is like for sides in the Unibond League - but the Southern is definitely one big anomaly. I've been to places like Gresley for midweek games in the Premier - places like Bath, Burton and Worcester as well. Places like Bashley and Spalding in the Eastern - and on every occasion, you can be sure we've passed near to places where teams play a similar standard to us in the Ryman - and kept going as we disappear into Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Worcestershire and Christ knows where else! Just because the Southern League has always covered such a vast area doesn't mean it's right.

Will we see any decent proposals come out of the bigwigs get together? I believe the FA has suggested something along a 4 zone set up and I think that's spot on. But - as as has been said on numerous occasions in the fanzine - there are so many empires in the non league game that it's going to be a tough task dismantling some of them - and that is what has to be done if anything half sensible is to result.

We saw a great game of football at Dorchester on the 12th - but we shouldn't have to go that far for such a good 90 minutes. That was a promotion issue related game which added spice to it all - but what whets the appetite more - us going to Bognor or Worthing - or all the way to Dorchester? Just as what would whet the Dorchester appetite more - games against Havant or Weymouth or us? Yeah I know - Havant and Weymouth are Premier sides - but you get the drift?

And having said all that - I am desperate to see Town (or will it be Hastings United once again??) travelling to the likes of Bath, Newport County, Stafford and Worcester next season.......... Why did I waste my time writing all this?

Whatever - let us know what you think on the guestbook.

STICK INSECTS, TURNSTILES AND PIES

The Boswell Barmy Army (Click to enlarge)

Dorchester's Avenue Stadium is quite a place and hopefully the pics from the match report will give some idea of what the place is like (buy part 2 of the video account of our season - plug, plug, plug). What they must think when they go to places like Burnham is beyond me.

Just one quibble though. Those bloody turnstiles. Now - I am a big guy, I'm 6' 4" and weigh in at around 18 stone which is big - no doubt about it. But not THAT big - but TOO bloody big to get through the turnstiles which seem to be designed for people of a stick insect like physique. I had to be admitted through another gate.

And as the first half progressed, I was filming the game behind the goal with the Boswell Barmy Army a little way to my left when for reasons possibly connected with my turnstile difficulties, I was subjected to a barrage of "Who ate all the pies, who ate all the pies, YOU fat bastard, YOU fat bastard".

This appalling attack was captured on film and will feature in part 2 of Town's season video available in a month or two - plug, plug, plug...... But what a bunch of gits they all are. Why do I have to take this...........

SS

19/1/02 Grantham Town (0) 1 Hastings Town (0) 1

DEJA VU

Myall 78 (pen)
Att: 635


So close in the first minute (Click to enlarge)

Penalty - ref points to the spot (Click to enlarge)

Town support enjoy Mylie's spot kick (Click to enlarge)

Yatsie fires one in (Click to enlarge)

Having put on a sterling performance at Dorchester the previous weekend, Town by a quirk of the DM fixture compiler found themselves off to South Kesteven yesterday where a Grantham side full of goals, a Grantham that had piled 13 in past us on our three previous encounters awaited us in another big Eastern Division promotion game. And a very similar 90 minutes to that at The Avenue Stadium was to result as while Grantham were to create the more clear cut chances, Town were to be the better footballing side for most of the match as they picked up a thoroughly deserved point that kept them at the top of the division.

Don't think Town didn't have opportunities of their own. As early as the 1st minute the Grantham keeper had to scramble away a well placed Macca free kick at the foot of the post that caught the home defence napping. On two occasions, Ziccardi (the keeper) was rounded - first by Macca and then Chris Honey but in the first instance a defender cleared Macca's effort from a tight angle while Chris who had an outstanding game (and literally gave blood for the cause) ran the ball out. A Yatesie cross caught out the defence - and Jonah - who couldn't react quickly enough with the goal at his mercy two yards away.

By contrast - Town's defence coped comfortably with whatever Grantham came up with. Dave had to get down on 34 minutes to deal with a shot from the edge of the box with the miss of the game coming on half time when the Grantham left back found himself in space with only Dave to beat - but to the horror of his colleagues he dragged his effort wide. Frankly it would have been a travesty if Town had gone in at the interval a goal down.

Ranshaw, the Grantham 9 who spent much of the Pilot Field encounter in October falling dramatically to the ground showed that he uses similar tactics at Granthan's home games with one incident standing out in the first half when he might've been fortunate to have escaped with what looked like a lash out from a grounded position. With the second half a couple of minutes old - and Town possibly basking in their first half achievements - Tony Burt tried to see the ball out for a goal kick only for Ranshaw to get around him - and then down he went with a spot kick the result. It does have to be said there wasn't much in the way of protest from our defenders and Grantham went a goal up from the penalty.

Town endured a rocky 15 minutes after that and were fortunate not to concede another goal as they attempted to regroup after tha disappointment of going a goal behind. Dave spread himself well to pull off a good one handed stop with George on hand to clear for a corner. From the resulting kick, the Grantham 5 was to head narrowly wide as the home side enjoyed it's only real spell in charge.

Having weathered the storm, Town started to fight their way back into the game and played some eminently decent football with Chris being the pick of the attack. He was to send in a peach of a cross after getting to the byline, but Jonah and Yatesie both narrowly failed to get on the end of it. Grantham might've doubled their lead on 63 minutes - but in a reproduction of first half events, having rounded Dave, the Grantham striker fired wide. Things were to liven right up with the 66th minute introduction of Landry Zanhana Oni who replaced Steve Yates. This guy's first touches have to be seen to be believed - and in no time he was making a big nuisance of himself.

The last quarter of an hour saw Town really apply pressure. A half cleared ball fell to Landry who's shot rebounded off a post and a couple of minutes later, the keeper did well to one handedly push out an effort from a yard or so out with nobody on hand to pick up the rebound. Town were to get the reward they deserved in the 78th minute when Landry got the ball after a goal mouth scramble, and having beaten the centre half was tripped with the linesman's flag alerting the referee who pointed to the spot.

Mylie's penalty went like a rocket into the roof of the net to spark off huge celebration amongst the vocal Town support. The equaliser seemed to take the sting out of the game and there was little else in the way of goal mouth activity as the sides settled for a point which certainly kept us happy on the 175 mile trek back to Hastings.

Those of us who were at South Kesteven last season when we got stuffed 0-5 on a mud bath of a pitch particularly got something out of this result. This second visit also confirmed the presence of a small but thoroughly obnoxious element in the home support who seemed unable to accept that there will be occasions when sides go to their place and play decent football like our boys did. No tarring them all with the same brush - but the contrast between that and the reception we experienced at Dorchester in an equally important game was a marked one.

Back to football - Dorchester drew 2-2 at home to Rugby United while 20 or so miles from where we were, Stamford did our chances no harm by beating Histon 1-0. The Stains didn't even have to break a sweat in order to go to the bottom of the division which we currently top - their game at home to Eastbourne was off due to a waterlogged Fort Fun pitch. Bashley beat Fisher 2-1 to see the Stains replace them at the foot of the table.

Was the "Anonymous Surfer" at South Kesteven yesterday? If so - whoever you are - I presume you found plenty to be displeased about as - after all - the lads put in a performance much on a par with the one at Dorchester.

SS

UNBELIEVABLE BUT TRUE

Town's Sussex Senior Cup tie at Arundel was postponed last Tuesday evening as the Bumpkinship outfit's pitch was waterlogged. Not a bad thing I thought with the team surely fixing thoughts on the vital DM Eastern fixture at Grantham which came a week after another game of equal importance at Dorchester.

On the Clubcall line on Friday night - 18 January - the news that it's a real possibility that either the 29th of January or the 5th of February could be the date for the rescheduled game at Arundel. On the 29th we are at present meant to be playing a league game at Erith - and on the 5th of February, it's the small matter of a home encounter against the Stains - again with league points at stake. Both those fixtures have already been postponed once incidentally.

When - WHEN - are the powers that be going to get a proper sense of priority about the scheduling of fixtures? The Sussex Senior Cup - and the DM League Cup come to that - are both Micky Mouse competitions that people largely don't give a shit about until their respective finals. If you get there - you make a decent fist of it - it's something to look forward to at the end of a tough season - but if you go out at an earlier stage - "so what" - we're not that bothered. Just how important people think these competitions are can be reflected in the attendances - and Town's combined home gates for League Cup games against Dartford added up to exactly 400 - that's 185 for Dartford and 215 for Folkestone. We've got Eastbourne in the next round of the DM Cup - we had 551 here for the league game in August, 776 at their place on Boxing Day - I bet less than 300 bother next Tuesday night.

You might just get 130 at Arundel - say that game's re-scheduled for 5th February when we should be at home to the Stains with league points at stake - a promotion place to battle for - and a local derby into the bargain. How many would we get in at The Pilot Field? 600 or so? Whatever - it'd be a bloody sight more than at Arundel - it'd be a bloody sight more than if we played Arundel at home.

How the poorly supported Sussex Senior Cup (remember just 154 bothered to turn up for the game against Lancing - while our lowest league gate to date is 339) takes priority over league games is a mystery all of it's own. And it goes beyond a joke when Town's promotion campaign has to take second place to such a lowly rated competition - and by lowly rated I'm talking about the paying supporter who's preferences seem obvious to us all - except the people supposedly running local football.

There are just over three months of 2001/2 left - the weather will see games postponed - it's that time of the year when pitches are at their most vulnerable - and what do we see - the strong possibility of league games which we follow with great interest as the promotion campaign heats up, being shunted aside for the Sussex Senior Cup - which very few give a shit about.

All these two useless competitions are any good for is using up suspensions - otherwise they're a collective pain in the butt. Bollocks to em both.

SS

Spalding cheer

On the way home after the long journey to Grantham, the 'hospitality' of a small section of their fans and Dartford tunnel collapsing fantasies of a certain member of our party had taken their toll. Who should we bump into at the services at Stansted but the lads from Spalding, who were returning to Lincolnshire after their win at Dartford. It was such a contrast to our experiences at Grantham, we had a chat to some of their friendly players. So I'd just like to say a quick hello to Spalding and wish them good luck for their game midweek. Sort of restores your faith in humanity.

KH

22/1/02 Hastings Town (2) 2 Eastbourne Borough (1) 3 [DMC3]

LEAGUE CUP NIGHTMARE

Flanagan 36, Eldridge 38
Att: 309
[DM League Cup 3rd Round]


Borough go 3-2 up (Click to enlarge)

Eldridge fires home for 2-0 (Click to enlarge)

George hobbles off - just what we need (Click to enlarge)

Landry's back heel causes chaos (Click to enlarge)

What happened in this game was not entirely unexpected after those two huge promotion battles at Dorchester and Grantham. As has been mooted in an earlier article on this site, the DM League Cup doesn't feature at the top of many lists of priorities as an aggregate of 400 for the games against Dartford and Folkestone testify. And my prediction that we might just get 300 for this one wasn't far out.

But - losing again to Eastbourne so soon after the Boxing Day debacle at Priory Lane (they'd lost every game they'd played since then and not scored a goal into the bargain while we hadn't lost in four) does hurt even if it's "only" the League Cup. And seeing Stuart Playford being assisted off in the second half with a nasty dead leg with the news to come that Grantham had won 4-2 at Spalding to overtake us at the top of the table just about rounded off a pretty awful evening.

Town had a decent spell for maybe 10 minutes in the run up to half time when they scored two and might have got at least one more. No Tony Burt in defence - Martin Eldridge wore the 5 shirt presumably to give Burty a break. Landry started as Town tried three up front on a Pilot Field pitch that was to cut up badly. George Wakeling left Mark Leaney in charge as he was up at Fisher checking Dartford out - our opponents this coming Saturday.

The opening half hour or so was turgid stuff - WHY does it seem impossible to stage a decent game between Eastbourne and us? Perhaps it was the pitch. Whatever - neither side played well - Eastbourne closed us down quickly like they'd done on Boxing Day even though they did find Landry a handfull. His cheeky backheel on the edge of the 6 yard box on 34 minutes came close to giving Town the lead as they at last started to get things together. A couple of minutes later, a Macca free kick was only half cleared to Adam Flanagan who slotted home to put Town 1-0 up.

It got better two minutes later when after a Mylie long throw hadn't been dealt with, Landry laid the ball on nicely for Martin Eldridge to fire home Town's second - and his first for the club. But the scoring flurry hadn't finished when on 40 minutes, Dave was beaten inside his near post as Borough got back into the game.

The second half was frankly horrendous. Town just never got going, Borough were always first to the ball, they kept getting round our full backs and referee McCoy was to have a poor 45 minutes in which he was eagle eyed enough to spot offences which warranted yellow cards for Macca and Stuart Playford - but missed the contact on Stuart that was to see him forced out of the game - and what looked like a very decent shout for a penalty for handball into the bargain. But Eastbourne were the better side - no doubt about that - and within a minute of the restart, Dave had to come out and smother an effort. All square a matter of minutes after Burty came on to replace Stuart who was caught by the Borough 2 as he cleared the ball out for a throw in. Referee McCoy didn't see anything - not even enough to warrant a word.

As to the goal - well, what was Dave up to with that one? Virtually a carbon copy of the first goal he let in at Enfield when a cross shot with no pace on it caught him out - we couldn't believe it when it snuck in at the far post for 2-2. Joe Cornwall came on for Jonah who'd had a quiet night - but Town were still second best by a mile. A glimmer of what they were capable of on 76 minutes - Yatesie cut in from the right - beat two defenders and the keeper with a pile driver that crashed down off the crossbar ........ and back into the keeper's hands.

Was anybody really surprised when Eastbourne got the winner two minutes later? I don't think so. Ball broke in the area for a well placed shot to be rifled past Dave and just inside his far post. They were clearly pleased when the final whistle went - but it does have to be said that there was a clear lack of urgency in Town's play as full time approached. Losing 2-3 with a minute to go - you pile in there - don't you? Er - we didn't seem to.

So - to sum up - we've lost to Eastbourne for the second time in four weeks, Grantham have gone top and we don't know how serious Stuart's injury is. Dartford await on Saturday when I suspect our lads will be rather more up for it than they appeared to be tonight. We've lost a local derby which hurts - but while Borough can look forward to a League Cup tie against Crawley or Ashford - we've still got a massive prize to go for and let's hope the motivation levels are 100% up when what is a new look Dartford side turns up here on Saturday. Over to George, Mark and Jack on that one.

SS

26/1/02 Hastings Town P Dartford P

POSTPONEMENTS - WEATHER - REARRANGEMENTS......

The only consolation on Saturday was that we weren't the only ones to be washed out as only three games went ahead in our division - none of which affected us - three in the Premier and naff all in the Western.

If you were planning to go to Erith on Tuesday - don't. Worst fears have been realised - we are due to go to Arundel for that rearranged Sussex Senior Cup tie with the Erith game being shunted onto sometime in March - the 19th I think it is.

According to the ClubCall line, the Arundel game is already in major doubt as their place is severely prone to flooding and more of this shite weather is forecast for the coming week. So we could end with the ludicrous situation of seeing the Arundel game - which hardly anybody is interested in - being postponed again while the pitch at Welling where Erith play is fit! And if that happens - then don't hold your breath on the St Leonards game NEXT Tuesday the 5th of February - cos that could end up being shunted aside to make way for the Sussex Micky Mouse Cup.

Stick a reserve side out for it George (like Chelmsford did aginst us in the League Cup last season) - play the bloody game on a Thursday night - and leave Tuesday nights for the games that matter. Promotion is the big prize - and every game that has to be rearranged - especially to make way for competitions supporters and players aren't interested in - is a big obstacle as we aim for a top two place in the last week of April.

If we blow out - we blow out - it'll be a massive disappointment - but to have obstacles put in our way like this ludicrous situation where Senior Cup games are rated above Eastern Division games is something no club going for the big prize needs. As I've said before - the importance of a competition should be gauged by the number of people who turn up - and if that Arundel game was to be played at The Pilot Field, you can be sure the attendance would be nowhere near the 339 which is our lowest Easter Division gate of the season. As for the gate at their place - might just top 100.

I remember several seasons ago - having to go up to Derbyshire to play a league game at Gresley Rovers (round trip 400 odd miles) because some fixtures secretary in the Bumpkinship insisted on a Sussex Senior Cup game being played on a Saturday - the Saturday we should've been at Gresley. Things haven't improved much have they?

SS

Just to clarify the whinging about that game at Gresley Rovers - what I meant to say was that we had to go there midweek instead of playing it on the Saturday as originally scheduled. Imagine all the hassle for players having to take time off work, playing the game and then having to be at work the next morning after getting home at around 2.00 am! All that down to a Bumpkinship fixtures secretary insisting on playing the Senior Cup game on a Saturday.

30/1/02 Arundel (0) 1 Hastings Town (4) 6 [SSC3]

Town coast it - but at a cost

Jones 23,45,55, Yates 32, McArthur 39, Zahana-Oni 52
Att: 93

Well - at least this Inferior Cup game was played and is out of the way. A little bit of interest in that a home tie with Crawley awaits - but like us - they are focused on a promotion challenge - them even more so as only one side goes up from the Premier to the Conference.

As predicted - the attendance at Arundel was around the 100 mark - and confessions time - I wasn't one of them. Rather more preoccupied with a little break in Amsterdam and the consequent early start the next morning - though it has to be said - if we'd playing for league points at Erith then wild horses wouldn't have kept me indoors.

As to the game at Arundel - as one sided as it sounds apparently. The cost element of it was Jonah doing his ankle in on a very heavy pitch as the last minute approached. Great isn't it? We go to Stamford on Saturday minus Stuart Playford who got booted off in the Bleak Cup game against Eastbourne while Jonah will also be missing at Stamford having picked up his injury in another Micky Mouse competition.

Sent an email to the Sussex FA last Sunday whinging about the priority these Inferior Cup games have over far more meaningful league games - still waiting on Friday night for a response.

SS