Character, grit, determination, belief – Dolan sees it all in Hastings United’s four-goal fightback

Monday’s amazing Pilot Field comeback gave them a fourth win from four Isthmian SE games and, said Dolan, showed character that they’d need in a long, hard season.

The Crows stunned United by going 3-0 up inside 13 minutes but Max Walsh got a vital one back just before the break.

Sam Pidgeon, Tom Chalmers and Ayo Olasimbo then scored in a ten-minute spell midway through the second half to take the points that keep them top.

"It was a crazy game,” Dolan said. “Three down in 13 minutes was unexpected. I could see the possibility of a bit of a hangover from playing on the Saturday and having only one day’s rest. I didn’t expect us to go 3-0 down but I did expect a slow start.

"The goals were sloppy – it wasn’t like Crowborough had to do anything for them, we gifted them to them, which was the most frustrating thing. But the boys showed character, grit, determination, belief, all those things, to get back into it.

"Walshy scoring just before half-time was the perfect way to go into the half because that lifted us. I didn’t really need to say too much at half-time – they knew themselves it hadn’t been good enough and we needed more energy and desire and would get opportunities.

“Again, we won the game 4-3 but we could have won by more, it could have been 6-3 or 7-3 which is testament to us. I said to the boys ‘if you go out and create the chances you did on Saturday, we’ll win the game’. We said they needed to believe in themselves and looking in their eyes at half-time you could sense that they had that bit between their teeth and felt they were going to go out and rectify it.

"I was pleased with everyone’s attitude and application in the second half.

"We’re not going to go through the whole season unbeaten and we’re going to come up against sticky problems – and that game could have been a problem, but we dug ourselves out of it. It keeps the momentum and the winning habit going.”

The win came 48 hours after Hendon had been beaten 2-1 in the FA Trophy at the Pilot Field – setting up a home tie with Bognor in the next round.

Dolan said: ““The FA Trophy tie wasdefinitely one we deserved to win. In fact we deserved to win by a lot more. We should have been 3-0 up by half-time with the chances we created. We didn’t convert them and their goalkeeper pulled off some worldie saves. He was MoM for them, he was unbelievable.

"I’ve said to the boys that we need to take our chances and I think sooner or later a team will get quite a few put past them.

"But it was a positive result against a team who like us have had a good start in the league. For us it was about keeping our momentum and our winning run going.

United go to Horley tomorrow aiming to maintain their 100 per cent league start.

"They are unknown to us and new to the league. We’ll make sure we’re ready for them but it’s mostly about us, and if we do the right things I don’t really fear anyone if we’re on it,” Dolan added.

Dolan himself has picked up a hamstring pull and assistant boss Sam Adams – who took his place – is now injured too, possibly longer term.