About Match

Havant and Waterlooville kicked off 2024 in the best way possible with a 4-2 away win against Farnborough on New Year’s Day. Goals from all over the park resulted in an entertaining game that will spur on a rejuvenated Hawks side. The two sides played each other in their last game out, with Farnborough able to beat the Hawks 1-0 at Westleigh Park on boxing day. 

The Hawks kicked off and were on top from the start. In the 4th minute Ben Morgan shot from 30 yards but it was seen wide by Farnborough keeper Jack Turner. Play was stopped in the 5th minute when Sid Nelson took a knock and had to be seen to by the medical staff. They deemed that he could not go on, so Jack Bell was brought on to replace him. 

The Hawks were really pressing the home team, with James Roberts striking the ball from just outside the box, sending his shot narrowly wide. Havant were straight back on the attack and Harry Jewitt-White picked up the ball in the middle of the pitch and laid the ball off to captain Rory Deacon. The skipper cut in from wide and shot, but the ball flew narrowly over the bar. The game was stopped promptly after this, when in the 19th minute Jewitt-White received the first yellow card of the game for a mistimed tackle that took down Connor Cullen. 

Farnborough were quick to receive a yellow card of their own, when in the 25th minute Aaron Kuhl took down Kai Innocent. The Hawks kept pilling pressure on the Boro back line. Deacon picked up the ball on the edge of the box from a throw in, turned and found himself one-on-one with the keeper. His shot was saved at point blank range and sent out for a corner. The corner was taken in the 29th minute and played to Jewitt-White, who found James Roberts darting into the box on the left-hand side. The Hawks #21 slotted the ball past the keeper and into the net, making to score 1-0 to the Hawks. 

Going a goal down spurred on the home side. Farnborough would have levelled the score straight away if not for a calm Worner catch from point blank range. Boro were pinning back the Hawks. In the 37th minute Connor Cullen got past Zouma and ran into the box, but the defenders’ blushes were saved when Cullen sent the ball way over the bar. The Hawks luck ran out when in the 42nd minute Hady Ghandour’s touch from a Jordan Norville-Williams shot equalised for the home team, making the score 1-1. 

The Hawks replied instantly when Mo Faal picked the ball up in the middle of the park and drove into the home teams’ box. He took his shot well and found the back of the net with ease, making it 2-1 to the Hawks in the 42nd minute. Even though 7 minutes were added on, this was the last influential moment of the half. 

Half time- Farnborough 1-2 Havant and Waterlooville

Farnborough took the Hawks by surprise at the start of the second half. The home team seemed a different side and were making life very difficult for the Hawks. In the 51st minute Ben Morgan received a yellow card for pulling down a Farnborough player on the edge of the Hawks box. The free kick awarded because of this was taken by Reggie Young and laid off Connor Cullen, whose shot rebounded off a Hawks player and out for a corner. Norville-Williams was found on the edge of the box from the corner, and the full-back struck the ball into the top corner of the net, making the score 2-2. 

The Hawks continued to struggle, allowing Hady Chandour a shot that came narrowly close to hitting the back of the net. Zouma was struggling to keep up with the Boro attack, which ended with him receiving a yellow card for a very harsh tackle in the 58th minute. To try and freshen up the Hawks, McCarthy and Seager were brought on for Morgan and Philips to give the team more of an attacking threat. This helped level the game and gave the Hawks more space to pass into. This brought Robets into the game much more, giving the winger the chance to score when he was found alone on the left-hand side of the pitch in the 68th minute. The Hawks man made a great run into the box, but his shot was put comfortably wide by Turner. 

The Hawks finally capitalised on all this free space when in the 70th minute Jewitt-White was found with no one around him 25 yards outside the home team’s box. The Portsmouth loanee looked into the box for options, but he instead decided to shoot from range and place the ball in the back of the net, making the score 3-2 to the Hawks. The away team didn’t have much time to celebrate though, when almost instantly the ball was picked up in the middle of the park and played to Cullen, who was able to find a way into the box and shoot. He only found the side netting, but this attack made the Hawks to switch on again. The ball was played to Mo Faal from the free kick, who ran past Boro players and into the box. He laid the ball off to McCarthy, who couldn’t quite keep his shot down and sent it way over the bar. 

Both sides made substitutions straight after this. Zouma came off for the Hawks after denying the home team a chance at goal with an outstanding tackle in the box. He was replaced by Sion Spence. Boro brought on Jonas Mukuna for Taylor Maloney. Before the substitutes even had time to get moving, Seager made a great run into the home team’s box. He was met by a Boro defender, but the Hawks man spun to avoid him, regained his footing, and smashed the ball into the back of the net. This made the score 4-2 and sent the soaking travelling Hawks fans crazy. 

Seven minutes of time was added on. The Hawks kept pushing for a fifth goal, with Roberts, Seager and Faal running into the home teams’ box over and over. This constant barrage of attacks seemed to too much for Kuhl to handle. The Boro man put in an unneeded tackle on a Hawks player and found himself sent off the pitch after receiving a second yellow card. Promptly after this the referee blew his whistle, ending the game at 4-2 to the Hawks. Havant will be delighted with the performance and will look to replicate it when they take on Maidstone at Westleigh Park on 13th January. 

Full time- Farnborough 2-4 Havant and Waterlooville

Havant and Waterlooville: 

Starting XI: Worner (GK), Innocent, Morgan (McCarthy 60’), Philips (Seager 60’), Faal, Willson, Jewitt-White, Jebb, Zouma (Spence 81’), Deacon (C), Roberts.

Goals- Roberts 29’, Faal 43’, Jewitt-White 70’, Seager 84′  

Unused subs- Baker, Mahammad-Kier

Cautions- Jewitt-White 19’, Morgan 50’, Zouma 58’ 

Farnborough: 

Starting XI- Turner (GK), Norville-Williams, Robinson ( C), Pruti, Young, Cullen, Pendlebury, Maloney (Mukuna 77’), Kuhl, Ghandour, Nelson (Ball 2’)

Goals- Ghandour (42’), Norville-Williams (51’), 

Unused subs: Fearn, Saied, Holmes

Cautions- Kuhl 25′, 90+5’ 

Sent Off- Kuhl 90+5′

Attendance: 1358

REPORT BY: Harry Ince