United crash out of Sussex cup

Josh Jirbandey did come close to opening the scoring but it was the Ryman Division One South strugglers who struck first when Luke Blewden glanced home Fraser Logan’s near post corner five minutes before half time.

Soon after the interval it was two with Gabriel Odunaike making no mistake with a lob that beat Matt Armstrong-Ford and crept over the line before a posse of United defenders could clear.

Hastings halved the deficit courtesy of Zac Attwood (pictured) following an excellent chip by Kenny Pogue, and then player-manager Sean Ray and Jamie Crellin almost snatched an equaliser.

But any hopes of a comeback were killed off 12 minutes from time when Blewden latched on to Jack Dixon’s backpass to claim his second goal of the night and book Crawley Down’s place in the last eight.

Hastings: Armstrong-Ford, Whitehead, Dixon, Carey, Ray, Jirbandey, Crellin, Gonsalves (Thomson 72), Pogue, Attwood, Parris. Subs not used: Sutton, Anderson.

A full report and reaction will appear in Friday’s Hastings Observer.