Potters Bar Town 1
Hastings United 4
Hastings United kept their playoff hopes alive as a flurry of second half goals saw the U's romp to a 4-1 victory at Potters Bar Town.
It was a quiet first half at the Lantern Stadium with the only noteworthy events being misses from Jack Dixon and Craig Stone both from long throws from Ollie Black for the visitors.
Despite this unentertaining opening period, the second 45 sparked into life just two minutes in with Hastings scoring directly from a corner. Former Potters Bar winger Kasim Aidoo came back to haunt his old club with the 21 year old whipping in an inswinging delivery to the far post that went over everyone and curled into the top corner.
The visitors wouldn't remain in front for long and eight minutes later the Scholars levelled the scores. A volley forward from Sam Dowdridge released Theo Alexandrou in behind and the Stevenage loanee kept his cool, slotting the ball past Louis Rogers and into the bottom corner for his first goal since making the move across Hertfordshire.
Hastings' one goal lead may not have lasted long but Potters Bar being on level terms lasted even less, and seven minutes after Alexandrou's equaliser Hastings retook the lead through a loan player of their own. A Dixon freekick to the far post was headed back across goal by Stone to Bromley loanee David Smith who had the simple task of nodding the ball home from close range for his third United goal.
Just over ten minutes later Gary Elphick's outfit went within a whisker of giving themselves a two goal cushion with the frame of the goal coming to the hosts' rescue. An Aidoo corner picked out Joe Gbode and the Gillingham loanee's flicked header came back off the upright.
Despite this the U's would eventually give themselves some breathing space as with five minutes left on the clock they found themselves a third goal. A Sam Adams corner was headed against the underside of the crossbar by Dixon and top scorer Ben Pope was on hand to nod home the rebound from close range for his 12th goal of the campaign.
After this Potters Bar heads seemed to drop and three minutes after notching their third goal, Hastings put the tie to bed. Two substitutes combined with teenager Freddie Legg bursting into the home penalty area before rolling the ball across the box on a plate for Adams and the 36 year old tapped home into an unguarded net to seal the deal for the visitors.
A third home defeat on the bounce for Bar means they are now 15th in the table with just two wins in their past 22 games in the Isthmian Premier Division.
Three points for Hastings, twinned with Enfield Town's defeat at Horsham, means the U's are now only five points off the playoff places with a game in hand on every club above them in the table.
Both sides return to action on Easter Monday. Potters Bar travel to a Wingate & Finchley side who need just one point to secure their place in step three football for next season; whilst Hastings can record back to back wins for the first time since February as they entertain fellow playoff chasing outfit Horsham who beat Enfield this afternoon.
Potters Bar Town: Hoti, Titchmarsh, Gulliver, Jessop (Smith 72'), Russell (Martin 46'), Njie, Evans, Chingoka, Feyi (Madia 79'), Dowdridge, Alexandrou
Goals: Alexandrou 58'
Hastings United: Rogers, Black, Worrall, Stone, Aidoo, Dixon, Pope (Legg 87'), Smith (Adams 68'), Brefo, Gbode (Moynes 80'), Penn
Goals: Aidoo 49', Smith 64', Pope 85', Adams 89'
By Nathan Williams
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