Horsham are Sussex Transport Senior Cup winners – Hastings United well beaten at the Amex

They proved far too strong for Hastings United as they ran out comfortable 3-0 winners in front of a large crowd watching the showpiece end to the county’s non-league season.

Reece Meekums gave them an early lead and Shamir Fenelon made it two before the break – and any hopes of Hastings making a comebck were snuffed out by Daniel Ajakaiye’s neat finish for number three.

Hastings kept battling but it simply wasn’t their night and they were left to reflect on a third defeat this season to Dominic Di Paola’s side.

You have to go back to 1998 to find United’s last win in this final – and to 1976 for Horsham’s, a full 48 years ago.

Here’s how Horsham boss Dominic Di Paola has assessed an ‘unbelievable’ Hornets season.

This is what Hastings manager Chris Agutter had to say ahead of the final.

Both teams have had good seasons in the Isthmian premier division – Horsham finishing fifth and losing at Chatham in the play-off semi-finals, and Hastings finishing seventh, just a few points off a play-off spot of their own. And the advantage the Hornets have had over the Us throughout the campaign was in evidence again in front of a superb turnout of 4,869 at Brighton’s ground.

Hastings were first to threaten after a couple of minutes and won the first corner but it came to nothing.

But it was Horsham who drew first blood when a quick build-up down the left saw Lucas Rodrigues play Meekums in for a run into the box and after a couple of touches he bent a shot around the keeper and just inside the far post.

United skipper Adam Lovatt had half a sight of goal when a 12th minute corner was cleared to him but his half-volley was way over the bar.

At the other end Hastings were sloppy in possession to set up another Horsham attack. Fenelon burst into the box and looked like he might shoot but when he squared it to Ajakaiye the pass was not quite right and the chance had gone.

Horsham were looking dangerous every time they got forward and Meekums was found in plenty of space down the left but his ball across the six-yard box was met by a Hastings boot.

When Hastings found some space to attack Freddie Legg got away well down the right and was fouled after his initial cross was blocked and came back to him.

Two Horsham players got in each other’s way when another dangerous ball was played into the Hastings box and it was the men from the Camping World Community Stadium having the best of the chances at this stage.

Horsham had to make a change on 30 minutes with left-back Harvey Sparks struggling with injury. Isaac Philpot replaced him.

It was 2-0 to the Hornets on 33 minutes as a long, curling cross from the right by Lee Harding was nodded back into the goalmouth by Rodrigues and Fenelon just had to nod it in from a yard or two out.

Seven minutes before the break Davide Rodari went on a run at goal down the middle and was fouled a few yeards outside the box, a challenge that earned Jack Brivio a yellow card. He took the free-kick himself but sent it over Lewis Carey’s bar.

It might have been 3-0 three minutes before the break as a surging run by Harding ended with him playing in Fenelon, whose fierce shot was parried away by Charlie Grainger in the United goal.

Suddenly the game had opened up and Legg did well with a run and cross that was not properly cleared and fell to Sam Adams, who took a touch too many and failed to get a shot on goal – then Horsham broke but couldn’t find a final pass. Lovatt was booked for fouling Brivio during the passage of play.

HT 2-0

It was so close to being the perfect start to the second half for Di Paola’s team when Meekums burst forward and curled a shot from 25 yards beyond Grainger and saw it come back off the bar.

Harding was giving Hastings problems down the Horsham right and one run ended with Jamal Lubanga being booked for pulling him back by his shirt.

Carey made his first serious save of the night on 51 minutes when he had to push a John Ufuah cross to the far post away with his fingertips to stop Jordy Mongoy pouncing to head it in. Then Ufuah, with the bit between his teeth now, beat two men down the left to surge into the area but had his cut-back blocked by a defender.

The cards were coming out of referee Daniel D’Urso’s pocket more regularly and Danny Barker was the next to be shown one for a meaty challenge just inside the Horsham half.

Play was straight to the other end and Meekums dribbled into the box and past Grainger but a little stumble meant the ball just ran out of play. Soon Rodrigues and Meekums combined again but the latter couldn’t get his shot away.

Sam Gale was the next Us man to go into the book for halting a Horsham break after a Hastings corner was cleared and it was turning into a niggly second half.

Immediately Ajakaiye made it 3-0 and with 22 minutes left that looked like game over. It was Fenelon who made it by battling for the ball 30 yards out then playing a lovely diagonal pass to set Ajakaiye free and he did the rest with a lovely finish past Grainger.

It was all Horsham now and a lovely passing move ended with Ajakaiye streaking through but firing wide across the goal.

A double change for Hastings saw Ansu Janneh replace Lubanga and Will Harley replace Mongoy.

Hastings were not throwing in the towel and another Ufuah cross from the left reached Tommie Fagg but it was just too high for him and his header was over the bar. Then Horsham narrowly failed to get Ajakaiye in on goal for another.

Rodari was booked for a late challenge on Hammond.

With 13 minutes left, Fenelon was replaced by Jack Mazzone, the scorer getting a great reception from the noisy Hornets fans. soon after, another scorer, Ajakaiye, was replaced by Charlie Hester-Cook.

Two more Hornets changes followed on85 minutes – Bobby Price and Doug Tuck replacing Rodrigues and Barker.

Fagg fired a low diagonal shot wide and to their credit, Hastings were still pushing for a consolation even in five added minutes, forcing a corner. One last chance for the men from the Pilot Field fell to Adams but to sum up their night, his shot flew well over the bar.

The last action was a booking for Hester-Cook – but Horsgam didn’t care about that as the celebrations started.

Come back to this site later for reaction, pictures and videos.