Reid ushers in a new era for Herstmonceux

If this had been a Premier League encounter, you can bet that Lineker and Hansen would have been wetting their pencils in delight, and relishing the goal fest that was sure to follow: top v bottom, with Hastings Rangers unbeaten in 5, and 'Ceux rooted to the foot of the table with 1 meagre point.

Thankfully for the purists, upsets can, and do, happen, and this was one of those days when Goliath, if not actually slain, was definitely brought to his knees by a new look Herstmonceux XI.

Yes, there's a new Sheriff in town, and he means business. Ryan Reid, is back at the helm, and he wasted no time in revealing his new look side, which after having only one training session to get to know each other, humbled the League leaders in a confident display of controlled football.

With the start of the game delayed due to the late arrival of opposition players you could be forgiven for thinking this was likely to be a long, hard slog in the sun for the home side. Fielding just 5 of the team that were brutally put to the sword by Wadhurst last week, the home side were experimenting with a new 4-1-4-1 formation: switching from 4-3-3 to 4-5-1 depending on the pattern of play, and a collective holding of breath was almost audible as the match finally began.

Hastings Rangers are top dogs of the division for a reason. They are fast, physical and full of confidence. Moving quickly from defence to attack and defending high, they quickly sought to stamp some authority on this game in the centre of the park. The tackling throughout this game was competitive almost to the point of dangerous at time, but the Herstmonceux players showed a resilience and courage that will stand them in good stead, as the Autumn pitches take their toll on the pace of the game.

Reid has already stamped his trademark discipline on the side and they began this match with a plan. Keeping to the agreed structure and man-marking when necessary, they contained the visitors from the first whistle. The electric pace of Toby Guest down the left flank was used sparingly during this match, but the support he received from Connor Middleton and Kyle Whittlesey augurs well for the future, and with Archie Guest and Jack Nicholas flanking the dual centre back pairing of Blewitt and Lewis, Herstmonceux have the makings of a frugal back four. The younger of the Guest brother was subject to some 'x' rated tackling today, but to his credit he shrugged his shoulders, got up and continued to frustrate the Rangers forwards throughout this match. Russ and Frazer have not played together in these positions before, not that you would have known, given the maturity they showed in snuffing out countless Rangers' attacks throughout the afternoon.

Half time came with the score still at 0-0. And, to be fair to both sides, this was a reflection of the first 45 minutes. Much of the battling had been done in the centre of the park, with Mendes establishing a rapport with Whittlesey and Middleton, and with Jack Brooks looking lively on the right flank, the bench began to think the unthinkable: was an upset on the cards?

The second half served us more of the same, until Reid swapped Jack Brooks for Billy Hobden who played as the lone striker, a tactical move that edged the game in the home team's favour. Billy tormented the home defence from his first touch, holding up the ball well, and foraging deep into the Hastings' half. If Brooks had been a handful in the first half, the away defence had no answer to Hobden. Twice he wriggled free to see shots go agonisingly wide, and then, just when everyone thought the game was heading for 0-0, the inevitable happened. Unable to match the striker for pace, the visitors' centre back opted for a desperate lunge. Hobden went down and referee Roy Cheshire pointed to the spot.

Ryan confided to me later that a few of the boys had not fancied the spot kick, but he obviously had not asked Artur Mendes. Twice already this season Mendes has put away penalties, and today he made it 3 from 3 although this one was straight down the middle instead of the corner of the net.

Reid now made the second change bringing on Ollie Brooks, but although they huffed and puffed the visitors' were not able to produce anything but long range efforts. The home team continued to keep their shape, but dropped deeper in the last 10 minutes ceding more of the midfield but still earning a good share of the possession. 1-0 remained the final score, and Shane Radwell had his first clean sheet of the season. The look on the players faces said it all: job done, and 3 very valuable points.

This was a game that many thought Herstmonceux would lose, including the opposition, which only goes to show that league tables are meaningless until Christmas. Luke Russell epitomised the spirit of this new 'all for one and one for all' squad, when he volunteered to act as third sub, run the line and provide general support. This attitude is just what is needed now, as we attempt to build on this result in the weeks ahead.

Next up are Mountfield away, on what can be a notoriously difficult pitch, but on this performance anyone betting against Ryan Reid's new look Herstmonceux would be very foolish indeed.