Davide Eights Wasps!

We don't normally start a round up by focusing on the Velocity Trophy. The Group Stage of the competition, which is drawing to a close, has had its supporters and detractors, but was designed to allow our Step Four clubs to give their squads additional competitive- and hopefully local- matches to play in, with lots of substitutions allowed. These changes have thrown up some occasionally outlandish results, but nothing quite so eye-opening as that which we got last night at Pilot Field.

The match between Hastings United and East Grinstead Town shouldn't have been at Pilot Field at all. It was originally scheduled to be played at East Court, but with twenty four hours notice United agreed to have it switched to the seaside, their pitch being in better condition than that of their opponents. United had to get their volunteers together in double-quick time, on a day when they weren't expected to be required, just to get the game on- and making it happen required an incredible amount of hard work in often appalling conditions. Thank you to all at Hastings for your efforts- although this morning you won't really require our thanks, given you'll all have a warm glow that could heat up the whole of East Sussex after what you witnessed last night!

East Grinstead Town hadn't yet picked up a league win this season, whilst Hastings were unbeaten, so there would have been no prizes for anyone who predicted a home win before kickoff. We'll be very surprised if anyone had predicted the magnitude of that victory, however. United made a number of changes to the side that lost narrowly at National League South Weymouth in the FA Trophy at the weekend, but the starting eleven looked strong, and very quickly it seemed that the visiting Wasps were going to be in trouble. Davide Rodari opened the scoring for the home side in the fifteenth minute, got his second- and their second- seven minutes later, and must have been delighted when he sealed a hat trick on the half hour. At this point, the visitors struck back, and they did so twice. It was, to reverse a metaphor, as if the Wasps were poking Hastings with a stick.

The reaction was immediate. Tom Chalmers- yes, United do have other goalscorers- made it four-two, and then Rodari got his fourth of the night to make it five-two three minutes before half time.

You might have thought that Hastings would slacken off in the second half. You'd be wrong. It took one minute before Kenny Pogue got goal number six, and three more before Sam Adams made it seven. The visitors then pulled it back to seven-three, before, in the fifty-seventh minute, Rodari got his fifth and United's eighth. Just after the hour Pogue made it nine, and then we had a lull- twenty minutes during which the one hundred and eighty one watching souls had time to catch a breath, buy a bovril, look at each other and exclaim, "what just happened?"

And then Rodari decided to give them something else to shout about.

With eight minutes remaining he got his double hat trick, and took United into double figures. And then, with time just about up and any Wasps fans still watching surely thinking that it couldn't possibly get any worse, he got not one- no, that would have been too easy- but two more- giving his side a total of TWELVE, and himself EIGHT of that total. Shame on the referee for blowing the whistle and not giving him the chance to claim a third match ball!

We've borrowed the image of a bemused striker with his man of the match prize from the club. Congratulations Davide on a wonderful evening.

Another club who had a wonderful evening were Hornchurch. Normally the Urchins would be our headline act this morning after they came from behind to defeat National League South Oxford City on penalties at Bridge Avenue after an eight goal thriller in the FA Trophy, but we're sure they'll forgive us for making them play second fiddle just this once! Elliot Benyon gave the visitors the lead just before the break, but if you deduct the period spent in the dressing room City held it for only four minutes before Chris Dickson drew the Urchins level. Benyon put the Step Two side ahead once more in the sixty fifth minute, but the hosts weren't going to go down without a fight, and Lewwis Spence drew them level a minute from time.

Into extra time, and now it was the Urchins who took the game by the scruff of the neck, George Saunders putting them ahead for the first time. Josh Ashby equalised for the visitors, but Marvin Morgan put the Urchins noses in front in the ninety seventh minute. Could they hold on? No. Stefan Brown got another leveller to make it four-all in the one hundred and eighth minute, and the match went to penalties- and in the shootout the Urchins held their nerve, City lost theirs, and the home crowd saw their favourites triumph four-one to earn the right to face Dulwich Hamlet in the next round.

We had one match in the Premier Division, and it went the way of Enfield Town, who went level on points with fifth placed Cray Wanderers with a hard-fought victory over Carshalton Athletic at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium. It looked like it would be anything other than hard-fought after the Towners went a goal up in the first minute through Muhammadu Faal, then doubled that lead before the half hour through Billy Bricknell, but a fight back from the Robins saw Paris Hamilton-Downes pull a goal back nine minutes after the break and made things rather uncomfortable for the home side. Enfield held on to seal victory, however, and to end Carshalton’s eight match unbeaten league run.

In the South Central Division a hard-fought match between Westfield and leaders Hanwell Town ended with two last minute goals and honours even. Aaron Watson gave Field the lead in the sixteenth minute from the spot, but that advantage lasted only three minutes before Brendan Matthew equalised for the Geordies. That was the end of the goal action until the very end, when Gianni Crichlow looked to have given Town victory, only for Max Blackmore to grab a last-gasp leveller. Town stay top, five points clear of Ware, but the Wodson Park side now have a match in hand.

A Kentish derby in the South East Division saw Ashford United run out comfortable victors over Ramsgate. First half goals from Matthew Bourne, Aaron Condon and Tom O’Connor gave them a three goal advantage at the break, and although Kane Rowland pulled one back for the Rams just after the hour David Smith almost immediately made it four-one. Rowland did get another, but four-two was the final score, a result which sees the Nuts and Bolts go level with fifth placed VCD Athletic. The Rams remain second bottom.

Back to the Velocity Trophy now. Canvey Island couldn’t match Hastings for goals, but they did get five against Witham Town in Group Six- Tobi Joseph, Freddy Eastwood, Josh Hutchinson, Dan Humphreys and Kane Gilbert the scorers in a five-nil win. Great Wakering Rovers only got one, but Billy Johnson’s goal was enough to give them victory over Hullbridge Sports.

Group Seven saw no goals at all as Whitstable Town and Faversham Town couldn’t break the deadlock, but the Oysterboys won the shootout four-three to pick up the extra point.

Group Eight saw Bedfont Sports defeated four-one at home to Staines Town. Terrance Saydee, Calvin Barreto, Joel Flavien-Howard and an own goal did the damage for the Swans, Lucas Sinclair replied for Sports.

Finally, Group Ten saw Tooting & Mitcham United fall to a two-one home defeat against Whyteleafe. Aristide Bassele gave Leafe a nineteenth minute lead only for Junior Timite to equalise for the Terrors almost immediately, but Junior Aikhionbare put the visitors ahead once more ten minutes from the break, and that’s how it remained.