Pitching In Southern League Premier Division South
Havant & Waterlooville 3 (Kealy 37, Seager 62, Swann 90+5)
Tiverton Town 1 (Hall 43)
Wednesday, November 20 . Westleigh Park . 7.45pm
BITTER temperatures in Hampshire greeted the Yellows’ on their latest road trip in which they slipped to defeat. A first-half injury to central defender Josh Jones definitely did not make their task any easier, although a positive was a first start for new signing, striker Nat Jarvis.
Already without the suspended Dylan Jones, and with Bakers Zak and Mike out injured, the Yellows travelled to the Hawks after 11 days of competitive inactivity, hoping to get some much-needed points in looking to climb the league table. Jarvis, on debut, offered a striking option of type that the Yellows have not had since the start of the season.
Havant & Waterlooville, buoyed by an Isuzu FA Trophy win at National League South Welling United, were always going to provide us with a tough examination.
As both teams strived to make an early impact, Joe Parker drifted in from the flank in the ninth minute, but his rasping driven shot flew just wide of the target.
Although Havant & Waterlooville started to have the lion’s share of possession, Tivvy, with the focal point of Jarvis and the promptings of Kai Churchley, were keeping the Hawks’ defenders on their toes.
Callum Kealy, the hosts’ Australian striker, then brought an impressive save out of Joe Duncan, the Bristol City loanee showing agility in flinging himself across his goal to deny him. Worryingly for the Yellows, Josh Jones looked in some discomfort and stayed down when appearing to pull up.
He was able to continue, but Jones, often a tower of strength in Tiverton’s backline, was not running freely. Duncan then was down smartly to stop Ryan Seager’s attempt on the turn.
The momentum was with the hosts as the Yellows played mainly on the break. Just beyond the half-hour mark, Duncan once again showcased his goalkeeping qualities with razor-sharp reflexes in tipping Harvey Laidlaw’s shot, which moved in the air, around the post.
Jarvis was winning his fair share of headers in the final third, but it seemed only a matter of time before our hosts would make their retention of the ball count. Jones could not continue and departed with 35 minutes played. This was a massive blow for the visitors.
Kealy, who, minutes earlier, had seen a goalbound effort well blocked by Tivvy’s rearguard, then put the Hawks ahead with a deft flick from a corner that went in off of the post. That goal arrived on 37 minutes and, with the Yellows reshuffling their defence following Jones’s injury - Matt Britton going back into a three consisting of himself, Asa Hall and Niall Thompson - this already looked like an uphill battle.
However, a moment of exquisite quality from Hall levelled things up a few minutes before half-time. Bailey Kempster, who had delivered a few long free-kicks into the box, did so again and, this time, when the ball reached the former Torquay captain a few yards outside of the box, his venomous volley powered its way past Dudzinski in the hosts’ goal.
The half-time whistle blew about five minutes later, but not before Duncan once again produced an excellent stop to foil midfielder Keane Anderson.
When the sides returned, there was early half-chance for Parker. Jarvis held up the ball well and set Tiverton’s top scorer, but his shot was always rising.
A good passage of play from the Yellows also saw substitute Oli Jenkins try his luck from distance, but attempt was wayward. Laidlaw then responded for the hosts and Duncan was beaten all ends up, but the rasping shot rattled the crossbar.
The hosts continued to signal danger as a penalty shout was refused by the referee and, after concerted pressure, Havant & Waterlooville restored their lead when Kealy’s toe-poked effort from inside the area was stopped by Duncan. His parry found Seager, who made no mistake.
After the Hawks went in front, the Yellows pushed more players forward and, although the home side were in the ascendancy, hopes of an equaliser still remained. With around 20 minutes to play, Rob Dray used his remaining attacking options with Tor Swann and Evander Grubb replacing Parker and Jarvis, who had a decent first outing in a yellow shirt.
Reuben Austin’s miscue almost resulted in Tivvy drawing level and it was heart-in-mouth time for the Hawks’ supporters.
We went into the final ten minutes with a glimmer of hope that it was not to be another loss and pushed more men forward and won a few corners. A free-kick in a good position was then awarded, but an offside flag was raised after Kempster took it.
With time running out and deep into added time Reuben Swann rubber-stamped the hosts’ victory with a third goal which he turned home.
The Yellows will have dusted themselves off and will be ready again on Saturday, when they head to Basingstoke in search of a positive result.
Yellows: Duncan, Thompson, Hall, J Jones, Kempster, Britton (c), Forkuo, Wright, Churchley, Jarvis, Parker. Substitutes: Grubb, Swann, Bernard, Jenkins.
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