Hastings, who included five teenagers in the starting XI, struggled to find their rhythm on the opening day of the Ryman Premier campaign and were ultimately undone by a goal in each half.

Substitute Marc Whiteman halved the deficit in the third minute of added time but it was no more than a consolation.

To make matters worse, defenders Danny Spice and Nathan Russell both had to come off through injury.

Centre-half Russell strained his thigh late on in the match and is out of Hastings' trip to Boreham Wood on Tuesday night, while right back Spice had to go off before half time after failing to shake off a kick.

Things might have been different had Frankie Sawyer made the most of a couple of great opportunities in the first half. The lively striker should have done better but headed wide from an Antonio Gonnella cross and not long after smashed a shot against the underside of the crossbar.

The Tangerines took the lead on the half hour when Scott Harris was allowed a free sight on goal from a Warren Harris corner, his header bouncing down over the line off the crossbar.

Harris struck again 30 minutes later and his cool finish seemed to knock the stuffing out of the home side who failed to create an opening until Whiteman's late finish.

Hastings: May, Spice (Cody 37), Miltiadou, Whyborne, Russell, Franklin, Gonnella, Maclean (Whiteman 72), Ramsay, Sawyer, Crabb (Marshall 56), Subs not used: Radley, Nessling. Attendance: 408.