Hastings United boss has 'sights firmly on the play-offs' after victory at Margate

That’s the view of manager Gary Elphick, after the U’s recorded a 2-1 win at nine-man Margate on Tuesday evening.

Ben Pope fired Hastings in front on 28 minutes but Sam Blackman levelled for the hosts 11 minutes later.

Kane Penn hit what proved to be the U’s winner on 77 minutes, before Gate pair Peter Ojemen and Korrey Henry were sent off at the death.

The win moved Hastings up to ninth in the table – now just four points off the play-off places – and extended their unbeaten Isthmian Premier run to five games.

Elphick said: “It was thoroughly deserved. If anything, it should have been more. We dominated the game from start to finish.

“I’m really happy with the performance, especially away from home after doing a long journey during midweek.

“The boys’ attitude has been brilliant this year. We’ve shown that we can roll our sleeves up. We thoroughly deserved the victory.

“After getting promoted, you never know how you’ll fare in a higher division, but I think we’ve been brilliant from day one. If anything, we deserve a few more points on the board.

“It’s been great, but I actually don’t think we’ve achieved anything yet. We need to keep going and we should set our sights firmly on the play-offs. From what I’ve seen of this division so far, there’s no reason why we can’t get in there.”

The U’s entertain Lewes on Boxing Day in an East Sussex derby. The Rooks sit three places, and two points, behind Hastings in the table.

Elphick said: “They have struggled for consistency at times but they’ve crept up the table slightly, more recently.

“They’re a hell of a club. They do things right as a football club I feel, and in Tony Russell and Joe Vines they’ve got probably the most experienced management duo in terms of success within non-league.

“It’s going to be tough. They play good football and they’ll pose a threat. We need to turn up on the day.

“It’ll be an interesting one, but we don’t want to get too emotional about it. It’s just another game.”