Boss gets his wish but they keep him waiting

by Dave Bradbury

Hillians boss Ian Chapman was keen for his team to start turning good performances on the road into wins and got his wish in their first outing of the new year on Saturday.

He made changes from the team that lost at Hastings on the Saturday after Christmas, bringing in Spencer Slaughter for Neil Watts at right back and experienced midfielder Paul Armstrong for young Curtis Gayler.

The visitors started on the front foot but it was Casuals who had the first sight of goal when Lee Denyer blocked a Jamie Byatt effort.

After that it was all Hillians, with Scott Kirkwood firing just wide under pressure and Slaughter’s dangerous cross being cleared by the excellent Danny Green.

Green then cleared off the line when Pat Harding slipped the ball past home keeper Danny Bracken and very soon after Joe Hicks acrobatically cleared a goalbound header from Armstrong.

The visitors must have been starting to believe it could be another one of those days as Danny Curd was denied by the keeper’s legs and skipper Darren Budd fired just wide.

An error at the back almost cost Hill but keeper Alan Mansfield was quick to close down and Byatt put his effort wide before normal service was resumed at the other end.

Green again cleared off the line from and either side of that Armstrong and Greg Luer went close.

Casuals, who were being watched by former England cricket captain Alex Stewart. ended the first half as they started it, with ended the first half as they started it, with a chance that Steve Barilli put wide.

It seemed amazing the first half ended goalless but Hillians finally earned the win they deserved with two second-half strikes.

The deadlock was at last broken on 63 minutes when Joe Keehan scored with a powerful diving header from Luer’s free kick.

From there on end it was comfortable for the visitors and they finally put the seal on victory seven minutes from time when Armstrong played in sub Max Miller and he followed up to score after his first effort came back off a post.

Soon after that Casuals had Daryl Coleman straight red carded for dissent.

Hillians: Mansfield; Slaughter (Watts, 80), Curd, Denyer, Fisk; Kirkwood (Miller, 53), Budd (Martin, 74), Keehan, Armstrong; Harding, Luer. Unused subs: Gayler, Tuck.