Hastings boss: Defeats won't depress us

Chris Agutter is backing Hastings United to recover quickly from their first home defeat of the season.
Kenny Pogue celebrates on his way to a Hastings hat-trick away to Phoenix / Picture: Scott WhiteKenny Pogue celebrates on his way to a Hastings hat-trick away to Phoenix / Picture: Scott White
Kenny Pogue celebrates on his way to a Hastings hat-trick away to Phoenix / Picture: Scott White

And he insists they won’t get too down about any defeat – nor too high after any one victory.

Agutter’s Isthmian south-east promotion chasers took the lead through Lanre Azeez against Ashford United on Tuesday night but the visitors got three in the final 20 minutes to inflict a very rare Pilot Field defeat on their hosts.

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That followed Hastings’ 4-2 win at Phoenix Sports on Saturday, fired by a Kenny Pogue hat-trick, that Agutter said was one of the worst games he’d ever watched.

Scorer Lanre Azeez in action against Ashford Utd at the Pilot Field / Picture: Scott WhiteScorer Lanre Azeez in action against Ashford Utd at the Pilot Field / Picture: Scott White
Scorer Lanre Azeez in action against Ashford Utd at the Pilot Field / Picture: Scott White

Hastings’ relentless schedule continues tomorrow with an FA Trophy tie at home to Felixstowe and Walton, then it’s back to the league campaign at home to Whitstable on Tuesday.

Agutter said the Ashford match brought a Jekyll and Hyde display from his team.

“We were the better side in the first half, they were better in the second half.

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“My half-time team talk obviously wasn’t very good. We stopped doing the things we’d done well in the first half. Maybe it was one game too many in our recent schedule.

“I don’t want to knock out excuses but we’ve done a lot of travelling in different competitions and injuries are mounting up. Gary Elphick played and he’s probably not even 50 per cent fit at the moment.”

Agutter felt the hectic schedule – after so long without football because of all the lockdowns – was taking its toll on some of his older players. But he pledged to use his squad to the full and give some of the club’s young players their chance.

The manager was pleased to pick up three points at Phoenix but was scathing about the fixture. “It was one of the worst games I’ve ever watched. They hadn’t cut the grass and they over-pumped the matchballs so it was like playing in a jungle with cannonballs.

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“We took it as a compliment and if it was designed to stop us winning it didn’t work. It was a comfortable win but not good to watch. If I’d paid to watch I’d have asked for my money back.”

Hastings’ injury woes have been added to by the absence of Ben Pope as he awaits his partner giving birth.

He may be back tomorrow, and Agutter was assessing his squad’s other knocks and niggles last night.