Today v Hastings

[OldTowner]

Any news of a pitch inspection ?

[Father Jack]

I'm here, and no

[seemgee]

Forster, Parcell, Payne, Thomas, Okotcha, Richmond, Youngs, Adjei-Hersey, Knight, Wyllie, Beckles-Richards

Sykes, Onyeagwra, Donnellan, Bailey, Taaffe

[seemgee]

1-0 45 mins Beckles Richards

[seemgee]

1-1 50 mins

[seemgee]

2-1 Wyllie 55 mins

[seemgee]

3-1 Knight 67 mins

[seemgee]

FT 3-1

att 641

[symptomless]

Great performance and atmosphere once again. 

We've really got to pick up those wide wingers, caught us out a number of times this season. Parcell got much closer and the upper hand after their goal though, 👏.

Excellent energy and pressing all the way to the end too nullifying their threat from their half.

A couple of cracking finishes too. Good stuff.

[Benjrider10]

Very good game between two strong teams.

Hastings had more of the ball than us in the first half and were brave when playing out from the back. As another poster noted, in the first half their number 8 had a knack for finding acres of space between Adjei-Hersey and Parcell, and they looked threatening a number of times as they built through him. The pacey left winger looked good too but Parcell had a good game, making some key interceptions and tackles.

Having said that, we had two good chances to take the lead in the first half, the first when Wyllie almost got through after a good passing move but (for once) lost control of the ball and couldn’t get his shot off, and second when Richmond (I think) hit a fine shot after a scramble that looked a goal all the way until somehow their keeper kept it out. A superb save, one to look for when the highlights come out. I thought it was going to be goalless at half time but we got that all important first goal right on the break when another good cross (from Ollie Knight I think) pinged its way to Beckles-Richards after another goalmouth scramble and he slotted home.

I wondered how we would start the second half (hoping for a Wingate & Finchley away type of performance) but to their credit Hastings were having none of it. They carried on with their passing game and the equaliser duly came after another good build up which this time they put away. To be honest, it was nothing less than they deserved.

The game then became very even as we cut off the supply to their number 8, and I wasn’t sure where the next goal was coming from. Ironically, given the high quality passing game both teams were playing, the deadlock was broken by a routine ball hit over the top which split the Hastings centre-backs. Wyllie pulled it out of the sky with an absolutely superb first touch, one that any pundit would purr about if it had been televised live, and made no mistake when burying his subsequent shot. A fantastic goal that changed the game. The home support went up a notch after that and you could feel the buzz from the crowd transfer to the players. And about 10 minutes after that glorious second goal, Knight hit as good a third after a great move sent him free on the left and he hit a beauty from quite a narrow angle into the top right hand corner. Cue bedlam behind the goal after 2 class goals like that! 3-1 was game over and we saw the last 15 minutes out reasonably comfortably.

Very impressive performance all round which should take us into Tuesday night’s home match against Whitehawk in a very good place.

Pitch looked fantastic after the weather we have had, and really good to see the home attendances regularly breaching 600. If we keep playing like we did yesterday, they will continue to climb.

[andyetfc]

Very good account of the game Ben. Although ETFC won the game, Hastings did look dangerous when their left winger got the ball. Job done, another 3 points on Tuesday would be good. 

[4wembleyfinals]

Unfortunately I am still forced to be an absentee. But thanks Ben for such a full report. One of your best and very informative.

I am so glad for supporters that they are at last getting the entertainment they deserve. 

When we moved to the QE stadium I remember saying that we had to have a team and support worthy of us being there. It looks that we are on the way to achieving this. Long may it continue!!!!

No doubt during the season there will still be some ups and downs to come. But that applies to all clubs.  Thankfully, after the long ball games of the past few seasons, we now seem to have a coaching staff with meaningful plans to try to ensure that the "ups" remain in the majority.