Weekend of mixed results for Hollington’s Lions

Crowhurst 0  Hollington United 1st 7

Scott and Andy took the 1st team on a short trip to play bottom of the league Crowhurst in their Premier league encounter and as expected, things went true to form………eventually.

With conditions not exactly ideal, and once again missing key players, the Lions were down to a bare 12. With a strong wind, bumpy pitch and long grass, Hollington started the game well as Luke Woodley opened the scoring after three minutes.

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Credit to Crowhurst, who made it hard work for the Lions by putting players behind the ball and apart from a few half chances the first half filtered out with not a lot to report.

With instructions to up the tempo and a change in formation the Lions came out a different team.

Dan Hull making it two with a great far post header, then Ricky Martin made it three with the goal of the game which involved eight different players.

Callum Smith and Ashley Kidman both got two goals each with fine finishes to complete a remarkable second half which made the final score 7-0 in what was the Lions first league game since early December.

Martin and Bowles Man of the Match was once again young Dan Hull.

Hollington United 2nds 1  Icklesham 4

Kev and Grassy had the benefit of a home game in a quarter final cup game against top of the table Icklesham which was expected to be every bit as hard as the previous week’s game against Northiam.

Things didn’t help when the Lions had to make a substitution within five minutes using their only substitute and so it was proved when a defensive mix up let Icklesham in to open up the scoring within the first ten minutes.

A second followed about ten minutes later despite an excellent save from Bailey Cheshire in goal, when the Icklesham forward reacted quicker to the save than the Lions defenders.

A free kick conceded just on the edge of the Lions area ended with a goal to make it 3-0. Despite this, the Lions had chances to score themselves but some good keeping and wrong decisions didn’t help.

A change in formation at half time saw the Lions go back to playing 4-4-2 and this soon paid off when Rhys Warren scored on about 60 minutes.

With their heads up, the Lions pressed for another goal which left them open to the counter and were rescued by some decent defending and the woodwork. Eventually their luck ran out as Icklesham scored their fourth and final goal to make it 4-1 and that’s how it finished.

Disappointed to lose their second quarter final in two weeks, the Lions are still in the Robertsbridge Junior Cup, and again fielded five players from their youth section which bodes well for the future.

Dynamic Scaffolding Man of the Match was shared by Callum Hadaway who had an excellent game at left back, and Bailey Cheshire who again impressed in goal with his communication with his defenders and great distribution.

Hollington United U21s 3  Hartington 6

The U21s had a home game in the cup against Hartington 1st team and despite going in at half time drawing 3-3, they eventually ran out losing 6-3. We don’t have any details of the match and goal scorers at this time.

Hollington United U18s 2  Flamingoes 1

The U18s had a double header against Flamingoes on a fairly hard but just playable home pitch.

In the first game the young Lions started slowly and did not play well, but still managed to get in a few shots and corners. They also had a goal disallowed for offside. However it was Flamingoes who scored first after poor defending from the Lions although Hollington equalised just before half time with a goal from that man Callum Hadaway again!

The second half was no better from the Lions, however they managed to scramble the winning goal from Jordan Ray, but this was tempered with an injury to Harry Bartholomew which meant the Lions would have to play the rest of the game and the second game with a bare 11 players.

Hollington United U18s 4 Flamingoes 4

In the second game there still seemed to be no improvement in the Lions play although they did go in at half time 2-1 up thanks to goals from Sean Howard and Callum Hadaway – again. They increased the lead in the second half with a goal from Jordan Ray but back came the opposition to make it 3-3.

Howard then got his second goal of the game and what they thought would be the winner, but a defensive lapse let in their opponents to make the final score 4-4, even though Sean Howard could have got his hatrick and the fifth goal but a goal line clearance denied him and the Lions.

Rusthall v Hollington United U16s
The U16s set off at quarter to nine for their game away to Rusthall after being advised the game would be on, only to arrive at the ground to be told by the manger of the opposition that the ground was in fact unfit – ice in the goal mouth at 7.30 would’ve been a clue. This was confirmed when the referee turned up and duly called the game off! So a wasted journey and all the cost that entails because someone couldn’t tell if a pitch was fit!

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