Hastings squad rebuilding continues

Three more players have put pen to paper at The Pilot Field this week in time for back-to-back away games against sides also in the bottom six of the Ryman Football League Premier Division.

It means that Hopkinson has brought in an entire team’s worth of fresh faces during his short time at the club - all of them under the age of 22.

Ashley Robinson comes in after being released by Ryman Division One South side Eastbourne Town, and joining him are Bayan Fenwick, an 18-year-old midfielder from Lewes, and Solomon March, also part of the Lewes under-18 set-up.

Hopkinson will be eager to end the three-match losing start to his Hastings rein when the U’s travel to north west London to face Wealdstone on Saturday before heading to Croydon Athletic on Wednesday night.

Hastings have lost nine and drawn one of their last 10 matches in all competitions, and their last victory in the league was a 2-0 win at home to Harrow Borough way back on October 2.

The upshot is that Hastings lie in the final safe spot of fifth-from-bottom, although they are five points behind sixth-bottom Wealdstone and only three ahead of second-bottom Folkestone Invicta at the midway point in their programme.

The full article will appear in Friday’s Hastings Observer.

SATURDAY’S SENIOR FOOTBALL FIXTURES

Ryman League, Premier Division: Wealdstone v HASTINGS UNITED 3pm.

Sussex County League, Division 1: RYE UNITED v Shoreham (tbc); SIDLEY UNITED v East Grinstead Town 3pm.

Division 2: Littlehampton Town v LITTLE COMMON 2pm; WESTFIELD v Mile Oak 2pm.

Division 2 Challenge Cup quarter-final: Rustington v BEXHILL UNITED 1.30pm.