Poor half, terrible goals – but Hastings United learn their Brightlingsea lesson

Kane Penn scores the first of his two goals as Hastings United recover at Brightlingsea | Picture: Scott White

Gary Elphick praised Hastings United for recovering from a disastrous first half at Brightlingsea but said: It shows we can’t afford complacency.

United were 2-0 down at the break against the second-from-bottom hosts but two goals from Kane Penn and a late Jack Dixon winner earned a 3-2 win.

Had they lost, the Us would have been 13th in the Isthmian premier table – but the three points lifted them up to seventh, just four points off the play-off zone. Now they head into two games in three days – at home to Enfield tomorrow then away to Aveley on Monday – with Elphick urging them to keep up the momentum they found to see off Brightlingsea.

"It was certainly a game of two halves,” said the manager about the Essex trip.

Jack Dixon celebrates United's comeback at Brightlingsea | Picture: Scott White

"A bit of complacency seeped in. I think we thought we were going to roll up and have it easy and we conceded a couple of terrible goals.

"At half-time we tweaked some personnel and in a nice way I let them know their first half wasn’t great.

"We got one back on 49 minutes and had the momentum from that point – and we could have ended up winning by more.

"It’s a lesson to learn. You can’t go anywhere in this league and go through the motions.”

Elphick singled out both scorers for special praise.

“Kane Penn is probalby my player of the season so far and I was delighted to see him score two – I’m really he’s getting rewards he deserves,” said the boss.

"He was at Brighton but was released as an 18-year-old. His attitude is exemplary – he works so hard.

"And that was Jack’s first goal of the season, which is odd because he normally gets quite a few.

"He gives you everything you’d want from your captain. We might free him up to get forward more and see if he scores some more now.”

Elphick said the tight nature of the league meant it was important to keep working hard and he said the spirit in the camp was high ahead of the Saturday-Monday double.

"Both teams we’re playing are in the top six so these will be difficult games. We were unlucky to lose to Aveley in the first game of the season but they’re direct and strong and you can see why they’re doing well.”