Hastings United 2 Whyteleafe 2

Match 67/14/1176 - Saturday 22nd February 2015 - Ryman South

Hastings United (1) 2 T Olorunda 3, Archibald 84
Whyteleafe (1) 2 Andrews 41, Henry 62
Att. 331

Entrance: £8 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 50/4,872

Match Report

As I sat staring out of the window at my Bermondsey workplace on Thursday night into Friday morning, the rain fell incessantly and, at times, very hard. Fast forward to Saturday morning and that deluge brought about the postponements of my first two choices of destination for the afternoon's football.

Tonbridge's match at Grays Athletic (to be played at Aveley FC) and Tunbridge Wells' home game against Greenwich Borough were among dozens of matches in the south-east of England that became a P-P on the fixture list.

After browsing the fixtures available, a phone call from the Tonbridge Gang of Four told me that they were heading down to Hastings, so that's where a made my destination.

The pitch at the Pilot Field had been subject to a morning inspection but, to the great credit of the groundsman, it looked as though it had barely been played on all season.

Hastings United are suffering this season, sitting just outside of the relegation zone whilst their visitors from Surrey, Whyteleafe are enjoying their return to the Ryman League from their brief sojourn in the Southern Counties East.

In the Hastings team were the Olorunda brothers, Tim and Ade, both old favourites down at Longmead and an ex-Gillingham player, Richard Rose. The only player on the Whyteleafe team sheet whose name I recognised was Roscoe D'Sane, who made his name at Aldershot and played League football at Accrington Stanley and Torquay United.

For me, football loses something of its edge when no particular allegiance is formed and whilst I'm sure that Hastings' fans, with a late equaliser to celebrate or 'Leafe fans' with a referee to berate will say that this was a exciting game, but without that edge the game rather meandered its way to the finish.

Hastings needed to get off to a good start and from a free kick floated to the near post, Tim Olorunda stole in unmarked to bury a header for a third minute opener.

It was the perfect start, but from that point until a few minutes from the end, it was Whyteleafe that dominated the game. It was something of a surprise that it took until the 41st minute for the visitors to find an equaliser. Awarded a free kick just outside of the box, the Hastings keeper, Josh Pelling, proceeded to set up a lengthy wall, but then appeared to stand behind it allowing the taker, Greg Andrews, half of the goal at which to aim at, which he did with good effect.

The second half centred on the sending-off of D'Sane. A tussle in the box with Tim Olorunda ended with them wrestling each other to the ground, as D'Sane fell, his studs raked across the face of the Hastings player, who writhed in agony. Whether it was deliberate on D'Sane's account, only he would know, but the referee after consulting his linesman decided that it warranted a straight red.

Far from knocking Whyteleafe out of their stride, with the aid of a speedy substitute, Jason Henry, they continued to take the game to their hosts and with half-an-hour remaining on the clock, the speedster broke the offside trap and sped clear to round Pelling and stroke the ball into an empty net. Henry was soon to spring the trap again but this time rolled the ball past the post.

Hastings managed to conjure a valuable equaliser six minutes from time with the helping hand of 'Leafe keeper, Shiekh Ceesay, who charged from his goal but only managed to chest the ball into the path of the Hastings substitute, Evan Archibald, who calmly lifted the ball over retreating defenders and into the unguarded net.

So a game that served its purpose of getting out into the fresh air, saw a little bit of controversy and listening to the Whyteleafe choir stationed behind the goal who would not have been out of place in a Welsh Male Voice Choir contest, all very uplifting!