Ryman League Division One South
Hastings United 2 Whyteleafe 2
WHYTELEAFE will be disappointed not to have taken all three points from this fixture playing by far the better football than their hosts, being deprived of several clear penalties and then losing star player Roscoe DSane to a very questionable red card.
DSane should really have scored an opening goal within the first minute at Pilot Field as he broke free down the right, rounded Hastings keeper Josh Pelling shot from a tight angle only to see the ball cleared off the line by Harvey Hanifan.
Just two minutes later and disaster struck as referee Mr Myatt awarded Hastings a free wide on their right. The ball was played in by Taser Hassan was met by an unmarked Tim Olorunda who headed past Sheikh Ceesay to give the home side an early lead.
Whyteleafe took control of the game thereafter and enjoyed the linon's share of possession as strugglers Hastings worked hard to contain Leafe's excellent passing football.
Shots were fired in from all angles but the home defence were resolute and blocked everything fired at Pelling. On one occasion a crossed ball was firmly struck by the arm of a home defender but the referee derisively waving away appeals for the obvious penalty.
Whyteleafe stuck to their game plan in the knowledge that eventually they would make the breakthrough they deserved.
The overdue equaliser came five minutes before the half time break. Mr Myatt gave Whyteleafe a rare free kick on the edge of the box. Despite allowing the Hastings defensive wall to stand roughly 6-7 yards from the ball, Greg Andrews fired the ball around them, past Pelling and into the net.
The second half started much as a the first finished with Whyteleafe knocking the ball around and looking dangerous from wave after wave of attack with the home side content to try getting something from the occasional break away.
It wall went wrong ten minutes into the second half however. A high ball was crossed into the home box and Greg Andrews was given a two-handed shove from behind just as he was about reach it. Again the referee allowed play to continue and the ball span forward as DSane and Olorunda battled for the loose ball. Both players lost their footing close to the goal line and as DSane tried to find his footing he brushed Olorunda's head with his boot.
Olorunda was clearly not as badly hurt as he made out and the clash was obviously accidental to those behind the goal just yards from where it happened. Unfortunately, the referee's assistant didn't see it that way, spoke to the referee who showed DSane a red card presumably for violent conduct. DSane was clearly incensed by the decision and exchanged words with Olorunda who was now merrily trotting back upfield having successfully taken Whyteleafe's best player out of the match
With one man down, Leafe manager John Fowler made a quick change replacing Ryan Fowler with Jason Henry playing up front. Whyteleafe played at least as well as Hasting despite the deficit and indeed made a breakthrough to take the lead.
Excellent work from Sam Clayton in the middle of the park resulted in a clever through ball to Henry to shrugged off his marker and slotted the ball past Pelling sending the boisterous Leafe crowd into raptures.
From this point forward the visitors went into defence mode and Sheikh Ceesay was becoming increasingly the busier of the keepers making a particularly fine save on 77 minutes.
In the end though Ceesay was left stranded as he ran out to make a poor clearance, the ball fell to Hastings sub Evan Archibald who had the simple task of knocking the ball high over Ceesay and into the Whyteleafe net.
With just six minutes left to play and a man down, Leafe couldn't get back in front although they came very close when a spectacular overhead kick from Greg Andrews went inches wide.
Whyteleafe: Ceesay, Hamlin, Bird, Patterson-Bohner, Thompson, Graham, Fowler (Henry), Grant, DSane, Andrews, Clayton. Unused subs: Smith, Pratt, Merchant.
Next match:
Whyteleafe v Corinthian-Casuals (Church Road, Whyteleafe) 3pm Saturday 28th February – Ryman League South Division.
