The first real threat came when Nana Owusu surged down the left flank, beating his marker and cutting the ball back dangerously across the six-yard box. A Burgess Hill defender’s attempted clearance nearly ended up in his own net, summing up the early pressure applied by the home side.

From the resulting corner the ball dropped kindly to Young inside the area, and he struck a superb half-volley that was only denied by an equally superb save from the Burgess Hill keeper.

The breakthrough for the Hawks came just before the half-hour mark. Harvey Laidlaw delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, where Alfy Whittingham timed his run perfectly to glance a header beyond the keeper and give the Hawks a deserved 1-0 lead.

The chances kept coming. Ryan Seager found space in the area, opened up his body, and unleashed a powerful effort that cannoned off the post, inches away from doubling the advantage.

But Seager didn’t have to wait long, when Hawks keeper Ben Dudzinski claimed a high ball and immediately launched a perfectly weighted kick downfield. Seager latched on to it, took an early shot under pressure from the Burgess Hill keeper, and coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

HALF TIME: HAVANT AND WATERLOOVILLE 2-0 BURGESS HILL TOWN

The second half saw Burgess Hill attempt to push forward, but the Hawks remained defensively compact and disciplined whilst still creating opportunities of their own.

Halfway through the half, Ethan Giwa-McNeil broke through the lines and was brought down in the box. The referee pointed to the spot, and Seager stepped up to calmly slot home the penalty for his second of the match and the Hawks’ third.

From there, the home side managed the game well, limiting Burgess Hill to a few chances and seeing out a deserved clean sheet. Next up for the Hawks is the first league game of the season at home to Taunton next Saturday.

FULL TIME: HAVANT AND WATERLOOVILLE 3-0 BURGESS HILL TOWN