Hastings United won’t give up on play-off dream until the maths defeats them

That’s manager Gary Elphick’s assessment of Hastings United’s bid to gatecrash the Isthmian premier play-offs – even if their chances of making them were hit ny Monday’s 0-0 draw with Horsham.

With three to play, United need to win their games and hope Enfield and Cray Wanderers slip up to allow them to sneak into fifth spot in the final table.

It’s unlikely – but not impossible.

Elphick said: “As long as it’s mathematically possible we will be doing all we can to make it happen, I can promise fans that.

"Normally if you take four points out of six from two games in three days you’d be delighted, but we were a little flat after it finished 0-0 on Monday.”

The goalless draw did neither Hastings nor Horsham any favours in their respective play-off bids and Elphick admitted neither team made the opposition goalie work very hard.

That was in stark contrast to Saturday, when goals in the final 30 minutes by Davie Smith, Ben Pope and Sam Adams clinched a 4-1 win at Potters Bar after the hosts had cancelled out an own goal that put United ahead just after the interval.