Elphick: Upheaval behind us - but we won't get carried away

Hastings players and fans celebrate Lloyd Dawes' opener in the 5-0 hammering of East Grinstead / Picture: Scott White

The Us looked back to their best in demolishing East Grinstead 5-0 at the Pilot Field at the weekend.

Lloyd Dawes, Ben Pope, Finn O’Mara, Tom Chalmers and Kenny Pogue were all on target in Hastings’ fourth win in five, which moved them into the play-off places ahead of meetings with Herne Bay and Ramsgate, the sides immediately below and above them.

But Elphick is issuing a ‘keep your feet on the ground’ message as he tries to stop any thoughts that they have now cracked it.

He is relishing the coming week, which brings a Sussex Senior Cup visit to Isthmian premier side Horsham in between the two league tests.

Elphick told us: “It was a good win against East Grinstead – a good performance and a clean sheet. We played some nice attacking football.

“We had a lot of upheaval with Chris (Agutter) leaving and it was always going to take a month or so for the dust to settle.

“But we won’t get too high on what we have done so far. There is a long way to go and we all know that.”

Elphick said he’d introduced one or two changes to the way the team played but they were not having to learn anything like a whole new ball game since Agutter departed.

O’Mara, one of Saturday’s scorers, is the defender brought in to make up for Elphick’s decision to stop playing and concentrate on managing – and the new boss admitted he’d not had the chance to miss being on the pitch. “I’ve not had time to think about it. Managing takes up all your time – it’s quite stressful, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s an honour to be doing the job.”

Elphick expects a tough physical test at Herne Bay tomorrow – ‘a typical Kent game’, as he puts it – plus stiff examinations after that in the cup at Horsham and in the league at home to Ramsgate next week.

Sam Hasler’s recovery from broken ribs is being assessed before the weekend while Pope has an infected cut shin and is doubtful. But Elphick said Jack Dixon was back from a ban and forward Lloyd Dawes was getting fitter all the time and would soon be ready for a full 90 minutes.