Ray set to stay with Hastings

The Hastings favourite played for the Quarterboys last weekend but turned out for the U’s in the FA Trophy defeat to Bedfont Town on Tuesday night.

Ray moved The Salts late last week and it was originally thought he would be with Rye to regain his match fitness and sharpness. Since then Hastings have parted company with manager Jason Hopkinson.

Rye manager Scott Price said: “I spoke to him on Sunday. He told me he’d been asked to go back and help out a club in crisis, and asked me for my opinion. I just said ‘you’ve got to go where your heart is’ and he said ‘my heart’s at Hastings’ so I said ‘go to Hastings then’.

“I’m not going to fall out over football,” he went on. “I can see his point because a few years ago I was at Hastings and went back to Rye. Sometimes you just can’t leave a club. I don’t know what his long term plans are but at the moment I think he’s going back to steady the ship.”