GUT FEELING SIMON STODDART’S

My views - not United's - on semi-pro football and occasionally, other topics.

Same As Same As

The first half of last season saw us well adrift of the top 5 into around this time of the season. One point from 5 games against those top sides illustrated a real problem - not getting anything from those games was crucial and, as some may recall, after the Cray Valley defeat here - United were 13 points off the top.

As if you need reminding of how it all turned out. Well, right now it's all looking a bit similar. The 4 league defeats have all been against the current top 4. 7th in the league, just outside the play offs, you'd have grabbed that back in August as a season of higher standard football commenced with one point from our opening 3 games. But over all - despite Tuesday night's disappointment - we're a bit better off than we were a year ago.

I've been on a run of missed games beca use of work. Once again Footballwebpages and Twitter kept me up to date. When I think back to 35 - 40 years ago, it was quite often the following day before you got semi pro results. Unless you managed to get an Argus on the Saturday evening, of course.

Adam Carder gives live commentary but I can't listen to the radio at work - I've yet to sample the United Radio service ……

I will get round to it in time. I am like most of you able to see the goals after the game thanks to Joe Knight's video service and Chris Laverick does a fine job with his podcast. Well done all of you.

889 - superb midweek attendance. People understand United are adjusting well to a higher standard of football and continue to turn up in excellent numbers. Two new faces on Tuesday evening - both from National South - Chinedu Mckenzie from Tonbridge and De Niro Pinto on loan from Eastbourne Borough. Prior to the Bishop's Stortford game there had been a loud buzz that Joe Gbode was on his way back from Gillingham and indeed he was shown in the United line up at Herne Bay on Saturday - only to be on the Gillingham bench from where he got 5 minutes against Barrow.

Interesting conundrum regarding Joe - doesn't get a start at Gillingham, usually on the bench while if he was here, he'd be getting 90 minutes. But he's like any young footballer - he's ambitious and EFL2 will always get ahead of Isthmian Premier. Whatever - we'd love to see him back here, eh!.

Trophy Time

The penalties win in the previous round at Southern League South Premier Met Police sees us renewing acquaintance with Burgess Hill who will have happy memories of their last visit here when a 1500 + attendance saw United go down 3-2.

A game that was won by the Hillians 16-year-old goalkeeper who had an exceptional game. On loan from Brighton, he was outstanding on an afternoon when United played a lot of decent football that would normally have been enough to win the game.

Ollie Black got both United goals in that game last season. Above is the first one. And here's hoping Burgess Hill don't have an outstanding goalkeeping prospect of - 17 on loan from Brighton! To rub salt in the wound - he is a Hastings lad!

The FA Trophy is usually a National League capture as you would expect but not always ....... Hornchurch still revel in their famous conquest of National North Hereford in the 2020-21 season's finale.

and United will want to end this little sequence of home defeats and avenge last season's game here.

Burgess Hill started badly last season and it's a similar story this season. All means nothing in a Sussex Derby.

44 Days

Brian Clough at Leeds and Liz Truss at No 10. And check this out - off the excellent @UpshotTowers which you will find on Twitter.

Breftakingly Good News

Whatever, today's game is one neither side will want to lose, Sussex bragging rights once again

Alex Brefo signing on for the season - great stuff. He has been a top top addition to the squad. As for 'Breftakingly' er, yes, ok .....

25 Oct League Round Up by: Ian

Townsend

Scholars go top!

Potters Bar Town hit the summit, Lewes slow down the Urchins charge, whilst managerless Wingate hit five! It’s our Tuesday night Premier Division round up.

Hornchurch were playing one of their many games in hand, at Lewes, where the Rooks retrieved a two goal deficit to take a point. The Urchins had won their last five league matches whilst scoring eighteen goals, and they added two more, Sam Higgins converting a spot kick nine minutes before the break with Ola Ogunwamide doubling their advantage five minutes after the restart. The Rooks then got going, Razz Coleman De-Graft finding the top corner on sixty five, and then with one minute remaining Joe Taylor got his customary goal. The Urchins hit the post in added time, but had to be happy with a point- and climb to third.

Image from James Boyes.

Potters Bar Town played their game in hand over leaders Bishop’s Stortford last Tuesday night - and they left Hastings with three points and a place at the top of the league!

The Scholars knew that victory would be difficult, as their hosts had conceded one goal in their last seven matches, winning six with clean sheets and losing only one, but they went ahead just before the break, Kasim Aidoo opening the scoring with a deflected free kick. On sixty seven minutes it was two, Tyler Christian-Law adding that one- but that finally got the hosts going and within four minutes they had one back, Kane Penn set up by debutant Chinedu McKenzie. A few minutes later and the hosts thought they’d equalised, but the referee decided that the ball hadn’t crossed the line - and the Scholars held on for a big three points.

At the other end of the table, managerless Wingate & Finchley put their first digit in the win column with a fine victory at Canvey Island at the weekend- and they must have liked the experience, because they repeated it in style against Brightlingsea Regent. They went ahead five minutes before the break through Dylan Kearney, and then went goal crazy in the last twenty minutes, Sam Cornish making it two-nil, Kearney getting a third and then adding a fifth for his hat trick four minutes from time, and Dernell Wynter getting the fourth. That’s eight goals scored and none conceded since former boss Marc Weatherstone departed last week, and at this rate the Blues won’t hurry in their search for a replacement. That’s two points from twenty one for the visitors, whoa re second from bottom and have conceded an average of just under three goals per game.