Havant and Waterlooville take on a regular rival on Saturday when Glen Driver’s Braintree Town side visit Westleigh Park in The National League South. 

The Iron will become the first team since Weston Super-Mare in 2016 on Saturday to have played the Hawks in a competitive fixture for three consecutive seasons.

Glen Driver will be well known to Hawks fans for his time at Isthmian League Premier side Leiston where he enjoyed great success before standing down earlier this year. Now in the hotseat at Cressing Road, they have started life following relegation fairly well, placed eighth and picking up form.

But these two have got history, playing each other on a staggering 17 occasions since 1998 with the win record incredibly five a piece with a further seven draws.

Games at Westleigh Park seem to be even tighter, with last season’s 2-1 win in The National League proving to be our only against the Iron, whilst Braintree themselves have emerged from the Fort victorious on a solitary occasion. Six of the seven draws between the sides have been at PO9

Recent times has seen the Hawks take the spoils, including our only double of last season coming against the Essex club.

The first fixture at Cressing Road was a cracker and perhaps the game of last season. 3-2 down in the 94th minute, the Hawks provided a spirited renaissance which the most creative of Hollywood writers could not script. In time added on Ryan Young booted a long kick forward into the path of Nicke Kabamba inside the box for hammered the ball home to level the score at 3-3.

That in itself was an incredible moment, but it would be savagely surpassed just seconds later. The referee signalled to both benches an additional minute will be played when the Hawks win a free kick just inside their own half. Brian Stock stepped up and played a delightful ball into the box into Alfie Rutherford who headed home a spectacular winner to send Hawks fans into a frenzy.

A year earlier, Jason Prior scored a hat trick of penalties as the Hawks came away with a 3-1 win against the then league leaders. Prior’s feat was part of a record breaking run which saw him break the club record for most games scored in consecutively, scoring in nine straight games.

However, the most pivotal meeting of these two sides came in 2007 in the Conference South semi-finals and it was the Iron who over two legs ended up victorious. Both legs of the tie finished 1-1, and with extra time providing no winner, penalties it was. The Hawks would be edged out 4-2 from 12 yards out.

Some history, what will be re-written on Saturday? Whatever it is, it isn’t going to be dull!