Hastings Hornets 2 Burwash 1
The Hornets have scrabbled their way off the bottom of the league with a 2-1 win against Burwash.
But it was a victory that came with a sleight of hand against a much better team that simply became over-confident.
If it hadn’t have been for Cat heroics in goal at the Academy the home side could have been four down at the break.
But a half-time inspirational talk from Skipper Chairs said just this: keep on defending well and we will hit them on the break. And that’s precisely what the H’s did with a 90-second one-two that ripped the confidence out of the visitors with a deflected shot by Chairs and a fabulous strike by Ricky.
The Hornets were two up with ten to play and the double rocked Burwash on their heels.
But the visitors – who dominated most of the game – were not done and continued to press forward. Their consolation goal was a superb shot that gave the Cat no chance and it inspired them to search for an equaliser and a possible winner.
Puffing Paul had played himself to a breathless standstill in the first 20 and made way for league debutant Marco Van Gasman to shore up the defence. But when Marco tweaked a hammy PP had to return to the fray and did enough to keep Burwash at bay.
The visitors are tight and quick at home in their gym but on the big Academy pitch always seemed to have a man spare out wide while man-marking all the Hornets when defending. The Cat had very few chances to open up the game from the roll-outs.
Chairs marshalled his troops in midfield with customary Scouse aplomb but the H’s were pretty toothless up front and the Burwash keeper only had to make one save all afternoon – apart from the two he picked out of the net.
Ricky – relishing his centre forward start – held the ball up well but couldn’t find a final finish aside from his super goal. Doc Dyer kept the volume up and he and Posh had precious little of the ball as all the action was at the other end. In fact, all the Hornets played better in defence than they did going forward.
Thanks to Chairs and his game management the final ten flew by without incident.
The Cat was definitely man of the first half for keeping his team in it with five saves and Chairs with the goal that turned the match wins the accolade for the second period.
Carole laid on a super ham and beef roll post-match repast enjoyed by both teams with a cuppa.
The win puts the Hornets mid-table until Battle play again with teams above and below them having a game in hand. There’s a long way to go in the season but getting a second victory under their belt was just the tonic The Hornets needed.
