Battle of Hastings

FOR the third year in a row, Ringmer s FA Cup interests have been ended at the first preliminary stage in an utterly one-sided battle of Hastings.

The Doc Martens Eastern Division outfit, unbeaten this season and lying second in the table, were a class apart from the first whistle onwards. Ringmer were denied even one goal attempt of any note and could only watch in wonderment as The Arrows snuffed out The Blues misplaced hopes.

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The Ringmer cause was hindered somewhat by a clutch of recently incurred injuries. Dynamos Kevin Townsend and Terry Cooper missed the trip to the glorious Pilot Field with 16 year old keeper Sam Figg coming in for long term absentee Jamie Bryant.

Hastings, with no concern for their visitors woes, ripped into the dilapidated Blues at the first opportunity. Danny Simmonds might have made Ringmer pay even before Duncan McArthur s crackerjack of a free kick in the fourth minute. It was an unstoppable blast that scorched into the top corner giving young Figg no chance. It also set the tone for the remaining 86 minutes. The ball was rarely out of the Ringmer half and cross after cross asked continual questions of the defence who provided as many answers as they could in the onslaught.

Paul Ruddy, Stuart Playford, Tony Burt and Adam Flanagan lined up to head at goal in the opening 20 minutes before another McArther piledriver stung the fingers of Figg.

It was the hosts quality interplay further up the pitch that was proving Ringmer s undoing. Paul Jones was the next to benefit when he found himself six yards out with the ball at his feet, but, after two swipes at it, he had failed to double the lead. Hastings persistently threatened from set pieces as half time loomed with Ringmer amazingly still just one goal down.

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The story was much the same after the interval too. The 346 in attendance witnessed a barrage of home attacks that all went unrewarded until the 69th minute when Ruddy clipped home yet another cross with a slight miskick that wrong-footed Figg.

At 2-0, barring a miraculous fluke, the game was over, but things still went downhill for Ringmer. After an extortionate five bookings in what amounted to a training match, referee Andy Legg saw fit to dismiss sub Stuart Corlett for an admittedly rash but otherwise commonplace tackle with the ex-Saltdean man just 20 minutes into his Ringmer debut.

The Arrows continued unabated though, and finally made the scoreline a little more reflective of the game with an 88th minute Jones lob over the onrushing Figg.

Strains of the FA Cup being a great leveller rang hollow indeed for Ringmer as they traipsed from the field at the close.

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Chairman Richard Soan summized, it was a disappointing result but not unexpected in the circumstances. We had a lot of injury problems that we could ill afford against the top team in Sussex at the moment.

RINGMER: Figg, Longley, Shelley (Dobbyn 62), Davies, Hamilton, Purser, Martin, Curtis (Corlett 55), Grice, Randell (Carey 73), Lopez. MOM: Sam Figg