Hastings United star lands new deal and is told: Show you’re one of league’s best

Moynes has signed a deal keeping him at the Pilot Field until the end of the 2024-25 season.

And if proof were needed it was a good move for the club, the box-to-box midfielder scored twice to clinch a 2-1 trophy win away to Chichester at Bognor on Wednesday night, putting Chris Agutter’s men into the fourth round.

Moynes, who has played for Bexhill United and Eastbourne Town since coming through the junior ranks at Hastings, said: "I’m delighted to sign my first football contract with my hometown club.

"As soon as Aggy [Agutter] came back it was a no-brainer to come back.

"I’m so pleased that all my hard work since 2016 has earned me a contract with Hastings.”

Agutter said: “Kian’s a very good player who I’ve known since he was 12 or 13, and the challenge for him now is to establish himself as one of the best players in the league.”

The manager said the win at Chi came in one of United’s worst performances since he returned as boss.

"Chichester are very well-organised and it was probably the first game we’ve played where we’ve had less of the ball,” he said.

Agutter is keen to ‘go deep’ in the Velocity Trophy – while the Sussex Senior Cup is opening up, with Hastings the second-highest ranked club left in it. In the quarter-finals they’ll play the winners of next week’s Wick v Eastbourne Borough tie.

The manager said: “I’m not one for playing weakened teams in these competitions. We want to win things and these are cups we can win.”

United’s Isthmian premier bid suffered a setback last Saturday in a 2-0 home loss to Canvey Island, both goals coming in a three-minute spell at the end of the first half.

Agutter said: “We were beaten up a little bit. They were direct and we gave them the initiative when one of our players was loose on the ball.”

There’s no immediate chance to get the league campaign back on track – tomorrow’s clash with Horsham is off because the Hornets have an FA Cup tie.

Hastings’ next game is at Chatham a week tomorrow, starting a gruelling run of six away games in seven.