Albion - Reserves attacked by Adams

Albion won the trophy 4-3 on spot kicks after a 1-1 stalemate in front of a 1,355 strong crowd at Langney Sports. But Adams, who hauled off two players at half-time, attacked his experienced line-up after the match, claiming some of them had played their last game for the club.

The seething Seagulls boss was upset after a disappointing display where Hastings looked the better side for long periods. After the game Adams took two bottles of champagne, which had been put aside for the winners, into the Hastings changing room, saying: "You deserve it more than us".

Adams said: "I am pleased for the reserve team manager, Ian Culverhouse, because he has worked ever so hard with the side. Unfortunately, a lot of them let themselves down today and some have just played their last game for the club."

Nine of Albion's starting line-up will find out in the next couple of weeks whether they will be retained for next season. Eight of the players are out of contract while Martin Ling, who has been at the club on a non-contract basis since March, will find out whether he is being kept on after Saturday's final game of the season at home to Carlisle.

A strong Albion following could sense Adams was upset when Albion players were sent out of the changing room six minutes early for the second half, with young substitutes Chris McPhee and Kevin Hemsley on in place of Paul Armstrong and Ben Andrews.

Hemsley, a 17-year-old from Crawley, scored his first goal for the reserves on 62 minutes to cancel out Matt Ball's first-half opener for Hastings, while McPhee's pace caused Hastings problems.

Adams said: "My youth team lads were magnificent. I had five of them from the youth team out there and they equipped themselves very well. They did a lot better than the senior professionals."

He added: "Hastings were magnificent, a better side, a credit to their league and their manager. I am bitterly disappointed with my players."