Hastings drop into bottom four

HASTINGS United have slipped into the fourth and final relegation place in the Ryman Premier after losing 2-1 away to Lewes.

Defeat in the Sussex derby was compounded by Leatherhead winning by the same scoreline against bottom-of-the-table Horsham.

Hastings now have only three games to save themselves from the drop starting with this coming weekend’s must-win clash at home to sixth-from-bottom Harrow Borough.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Poor defending allowed Lewes to storm into a two-goal lead at a wet and windy Dripping Pan on Easter Monday. Nathan Crabb grabbed the first on 12 minutes and Max Howell doubled their advantage four minutes before half time.

Hastings looked much brighter in the second half and went close through Zac Attwood and Lee Carey before Scott Manning halved the deficit on 83 minutes by getting on the end of a Carey free kick.

Hastings: Armstrong-Ford, Manning, Sutton (Camara 46), Carey, Ray (Goldberg 46), Jirbandey, Ellis, Crellin, Dixon, Attwood, Whitehead. Subs not used: Gonsalves, Stapley.

Referee: Ashley Slaughter. Attendance: 692.

Ryman Premier bottom six (played-points): Harrow Borough 38-43 (-14 goal difference), Leatherhead 39-41 (-11), HASTINGS UTD 39-41 (-20), Aveley 39-26 (-40), Tooting & Mitcham Utd 38-26 (-52), Horsham 39-15 (-63).