Vs. Hastings Rangers II (H)
Starting XI	Substitutes:
Simon Cutler
Owen Davies
Gary Williams
Gary Wenham
Darrell Hartley
Adrian Gaylon	(60 Dom Fowler)
Andy Mills (c)
Pat Mammone	(70 Richard Ahsam)
Paul Ford
Adam Johnson
Dave Mills
Referee:
Goal: Ford (90).
HT Score: 0-3
FT Score: 1-4
Booking: Ford (63)

The Baptists failed at home to a strong Hastings Rangers side as the league leaders bossed the majority of the encounter. Rangers started the stronger side and kept Battle in their own half for most of the first ten minutes, forcing a corner after two minutes with a deflected shot from Matt Buss. As Battle strived to make an impression on the game the midfield pushed on and Pat saw his excellent cross to the far post sail just wide with no-one following in. Eighteen minutes in and the first clear chance of the match fell to the Hastings side. Simon blocked a powerful shot from the number 7 and came out very quickly to block from Mark Smith.

The twenty-fourth minute signalled the start of a six-minute spell that decided the course of the game. A long ball over the top caught out the Battle defence and as Owen moved to intercept the ball Simon came off his line. The call from the keeper was too late and Owen’s back header presented striker Ashley Jamieson with an open goal. Five minutes later and Jamieson doubled the advantage when he attempted an overhead kick from a hopeful ball to the far post. He did not connect with it properly but unfortunately Simon allowed the ball to squirm under his body. A minute later and it got worse for the home side when a static defence allowed the ball to fall on the edge area and watched as the Rangers midfielder lofted it goalwards. Simon seemed to think the ball was going over, but it just dropped under the crossbar for three nil. The excitement was not over for the half yet though as Mark Smith was sent off after accusing Ian Nunn, who was linesman, of cheating when he gave him offside after a free-kick was taken. The act was viewed as foul and abusive language by the referee who showed him the red card.

The second half started with the Baptists keen to make an impression on the game. Despite being down to ten men Hastings Rangers were still in charge but were becoming increasingly animated towards the young referee, appealing for everything and putting pressure on him whenever they lost a 50:50 ball. They made the game safe on fifty-four minutes when a good break forward by the number seven released Jamieson who turned the defence and fired home for his hat-trick. Three minutes later and it was nearly five as a misdirected clearing header from Gary Williams was goal-bound before Darrell cleared it off the line. The pressure kept coming and an extremely harsh handball was given against Gary Wenham when the ball was fired at him from barely a yard away and it hit his arm by his side. However Simon denied Jamieson his fourth with a good save low to his right. Adrian was then taken off for Dom as the Baptists pushed more men forward. A great move from the men in orange then followed, and Dave Mills was played in on goal before he screwed his shot just wide of the far post. Paul was then booked for a late challenge as the Baptists were getting more and more in the game before we had two great chances in the space of a minute with twenty minutes to go. Firstly Adam headed a corner just wide, then Paul was denied by a good near-post double save as he pressed down the left flank. Manager-for-the-day Richard came on for an injured Pat, then with seven minutes to go Dave ran down the right wing and shot just wide. Owen cut in from a corner and drilled an effort at the near post that the keeper saved well with only three minutes to go, before the Baptists got a well-deserved consolation in the last minute when Adam ran onto a long ball forward from Gary Wenham and chipped it over the keeper. As the ball rolled towards the line a defender ran in to cover so Paul went in as well and got enough on the ball to take it over the line. Hastings Rangers deserved to win the game as bar the last fifteen minutes they were always in control and it took the Baptists too long to get used to their physical, confrontational style of play.