HAWKS BEAT HORNDEAN IN HUMBDINGER:
Havant and Waterlooville came out of Five Heads Park as 4-3 victors but Lee Bradbury first to admit defensive errors cost the Hawks against the Deans. The Hawks would be buoyed by the news that chairman Derek Pope announced during Hawks Radio’s commentary that Hayato Yoshida has joined the club on contract after a successful loan. Widdrington would continue to play for the Hawks with Prior and Rutherford being the front two.
It would be the Hawks who would have the better of the opening chances as link-up play between Jason Prior and Wes Fogden being a key pattern emerging across the park in the opening 15 minutes. It started off with Prior, who in acres of space played the ball out to Fogden, the former Pompey star turned and takes a shot which would go out for a corner. A minute later Fogden would find himself on the edge of the penalty area crosses the ball into Theo Lewis who would head wide of the far post.
After a flurry of chances the Hawks would break the deadlock after 20 minutes when played was being built from the back and when moved forward went out to Wes Fogden who then unleashes a cross unto the penalty area which finds Prior who would use his height to head the ball into the top righthand corner. The Hawks a goal to the good.
The quarter of an hour that followed would be the Theo Widdrington show as the Pompey man who recently signed his first professional contract would trouble the Horndean defence. First of a shot from range hitting the ‘keeper then playing the ball into Theo Lewis with his extravagant bicycle kick going out for a corner. But Widdrington would not just rubber stamp his presence on the game but his presence in greatness as the ball being played in the middle of the park, Widdrington picks up the ball and then from all of 40 yards out has a go and would hit the centre of the net sending Five Heads Park into a frenzy.
HALF TIME: HORNDEAN 0-2 HAWKS
A beautiful red sky on a Tuesday night at Five Heads Park and it would be more than just the shepherds that would be delighted with what was for the neutral the most sensational of second periods.
The Hawks had the first meaningful chance of the second period six minutes in as Andreas Robinson played the ball into Alfie Rutherford with the 18-year-old heading the ball just wide of the post. But it wouldn’t take long for the Hawks to open their goal scoring account for the second half as James Hayter plays the ball into Matt Tubbs who heads the ball into the top-right hand corner to make the score 3-0.
At this point game over you think? Well Horndean has other plans as a matter of ten minutes later the blue touch paper of this match well and truly ignited as substitute Horley with the ball from 25 yards out takes a shot and it slots past Ryan Young in the Hawks goal to reduce the arrears to two goals.
The Hawks would respond straight from the kick-off as Matt Tubbs has an effort on goal but would be saved by second half ‘keeper Tindall. But with ten minutes to go the goals rained in. Horndean would reduce the arrears to one after Lee Molyneaux tried to pass the ball to Ed Harris but instead of finding his teammate found the path of Horndean’s Humble who puts the ball into the bottom left to bring it back to 3-2.
But a matter of four minutes later and with five minutes to go the Hawks would go two clear of Horndean as Hayter crosses the ball into the penalty area and the ball is bundled into the back of the net by a Horndean player. What could have been the concession for Horndean would be the reigniting as their never say die attitude continued to shine through as Humble would once more find the net and would in some style as a 25 yard rocket would pass Ryan Young’s goal.
FULL-TIME: HORNDEAN 3-4 HAWKS
Post-match Lee Bradbury said that the defence was “bitter sweet for us, I think the first half we were very dominant, passed the ball very well and scored some good goals, a lot of good movements and then second half we thought we could do what we want but we can’t. We’ve got to do things properly or we’ll get what we got in the second half. Horndean went for it in the second half and we didn’t defend properly and I’m not happy about that”.
The Hawks’ next test is against Moneyfields on Saturday at Westleigh Park a shrewd last pre-season test for Lee Bradbury’s side as he face Dave Carter’s outfit who in their first Southern League 1 season are looking brightly at their chances.
Henry Deacon
Henry Deacon Media 