Fortune frowns on impressive United

The ball never quite ran for United as Molesey always seemed to have a defender in the right place and utilised just about every time wasting tactic ever conceived en route to earning a point.

United chief Steve Lovell said: "It was definitely two points dropped. We had all the play but it was the same old story. Nothing seems to be going for us in front of goal. I was quite content with the performance: I thought we played quite nice football and got behind them in the second half but it's not running for us at the moment. I would only be disappointed if we weren't creating chances. You've got to give them a little bit of credit, they defended quite well."

It would be wrong, however, to assume this was a vintage performance from the home side. It certainly wasn't. For the first three quarters of the game they played in fits and starts and, particularly in the early part of the second half, the ball spent too much time in the air.

But for the final quarter they really got stuck into the opposition. They got the ball down far more and began to utilise the pace of Peter Sayer and the particularly eye-catching Mitchell Sherwood, whose introduction vastly improved the side's shape and balance, on the flanks.

And the openings began to flow as a consequence.

A pair of half-chances came the way of Chris Honey shortly before Carl Rook equalised from the spot in the 73rd minute.

It was Sayer who earned the penalty, hitting the turf with a posse of defenders in close attendance following another weaving run into the box.

The frenzied reaction of the away defenders, though, suggested they believed the Hastings substitute had conned referee Paul Faulkner.

The words pot, kettle and black spring to mind, however, because Molesey's physio was more conspicious than their lone centre-forward during a second half punctuated by stoppages rather than nasty challenges.

The delaying tactics, which Lovell condemned, continued after the goal but so too did the Hastings pressure. Jon Wallis, who showed flashes rather than sustained brilliance, chipped just over, Sayer drove inches wide,

Rook's shot which he knew little about bounced just too high and the same player prodded a glorious 89th minute chance tentatively goalwards when clean contact would surely have yielded the winner.

Molesey could have pinched it themselves in a rousing finale, far from in keeping with the rest of the contest. James Goodwin went down in the box a minute later with Peter Mortley, whose shanked clearance from Steve Beeks' left wing free kick gifted the visitors an 11th minute lead, close by.

But, despite the referee's assistant flagging for a penalty, the official himself, whom Lovell felt had a "good" game, over-ruled his colleague, quite rightly in the view of Lovell who said it was "never" a penalty.

And they were let off for a second time when Sam Lampard blazed over in the third minute of added time following John Bayada's pacy run.

Hastings: Knowles 6, Elford 6, Eldridge 6, Mortley 6, RAY 7*, Wallis 6, Hafner 6 (Sayer 46, 6), Tutton 6, Rook 6, Honey 5, Bolton 5 (Sherwood 46, 7). Subs not used: Belcher, Henham, Nessling. Booked: Ray, Rook. Performance: 6.

Molesey: GARRARD 7*, Garrett 6, Wales 6, Gower 7, Murphy 7 (Caughter 71, 6), Beeks 6, Alebuosi 6, Lampard 5, Anderson 5 (Bayada 79, 6), Millington-Lee 5, Goodwin 6. Subs not used: Shilton, Adin. Performance: 6.

Referee: Paul Faulkner (Brighton) 7. Attendance: 165.