Hastings United boss: It should have been six points, not four

Andrew Sesay takes off during Hastings' match at VCD / Picture: Scott White

United followed up New Year’s Day’s 1-0 win at home to Lancing – in front of their biggest ever home league crowd – with a 2-2 draw at VCD that Elphick felt his team could have won.

The draw – which followed a run of six straight Isthmian south east division wins – keeps Hastings two points clear at the top of the table ahead of tomorrow’s home clash with 12th-placed Faversham.

Elphick said: “It could have been six points from the two games rather than four.

Sam Adams also takes off at VCD / Picture: Scott White

“I don’t like to talk about poor officiating but at VCD their equaliser came from a decision that never should have been given. We were gutted not to take the three points.”

The boss was pleased to begin the new year with a 1-0 win over a Lancing side who made the Us work hard for their reward.

“In rotating the squad to keep people fresh for all the games we have had, I may have rotated too much,” he said. “Lancing were very well-organised. They had ten men behind the ball and dropped deep and made themselves difficult to break down.”

Jack Dixon was on target in both games and Elphick said: “He’d be my player of the season so far.

United celebrate Dave Martin's opener at VCD / Picture: Scott White

“He’s incredibly consistent with a great work-rate but in a way he is typical of our team in that everyone gets on with their jobs – there are no real headline acts. Everyone grafts.”

Everyone at the club was delighted to see a crowd of 2,017 pack into the ground for the Lancing game – beating the previous record of 1,834 versus AFC Wimbledon in 2005. United chairman Billy Wood tweeted: “I’m so proud we created history at our club, breaking an attendance record that’s sat there since AFC Wimbledon’s rise through non-league. Knowing that the crowd was 99.9 per cent Hastings is even better.”

Elphick echoed his sentiments saying: “It’s such big backing and shows the potential at this sleeping giant of a club. I hope and pray we can keep giving fans what they want.”

Now the manager’s aim is for the team to turn the good spells they are having in games into longer periods of attacking domination. “I feel we’ve yet to click as an attacking force for long periods. That’s something I now want to see.”