The opening stages at Westleigh Park were even and largely uneventful, but it was the Hawks that carved out the first major opportunity of the match. A great attacking move ended with a dangerous delivery into the box finding Thorpe, whose initial effort was smartly saved by Parkes. The rebound fell kindly for Thorpe again, but his follow-up effort looped just over the bar.

A couple of minutes later the Hawks threatened once more. Another ball into the area caused confusion for the Poole defence. The ball fell to Willson whose strike sparked huge appeals for a penalty. Despite strong shouts from the Hawks players and fans, nothing was given.

As the half progressed, the Hawks continued to push for the opener. Ferdinand’s long kick forward was well flicked on by Whittingham into the path of Seager. The captain controlled well, spun sharply, and fired goalward, but his effort drifted just wide of the far post—another agonising near-miss.

Poole then produced their first real threat of the match, when league top scorer Gwengwe burst in behind the Hawks’ defence. Racing through on goal, he struck low, but Lorenz Ferdinand closed the angle superbly and got a crucial touch to divert the shot wide, keeping the scores level.

However, just as the game looked set to head into the break level, Poole Town struck. Right at the end of the half, a free-kick into the box wasn’t dealt with, and Jordan hooked the ball into the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Despite being the better side for large spells and creating the clearer chances, the Hawks find themselves trailing at half-time—a frustrating end to an otherwise strong first-half performance.

HALF TIME: HAVANT AND WATERLOOVILLE 0-1 POOLE TOWN

Just ten minutes after the restart, a costly lapse in concentration gifted Poole Town their second goal. A long ball forward from Parkes wasn’t dealt with, allowing Gwengwe to sneak in, rise above the defence, and nod the ball over Ferdinand, doubling the visitors’ advantage and leaving the Hawks with a mountain to climb.

The visitors would later add their third of the afternoon. Slade took aim from just outside the box, and his driven effort found its way past Ferdinand to put Poole firmly in control at 3-0.

From there, the Hawks continued to battle but were unable to find a route back into the match. A combination of missed opportunities, a drop-off in attacking sharpness, and a couple of decisive defensive lapses proved costly.

It was a disappointing second half for the Hawks, who will feel they let the game get away from them after a strong and encouraging first-half display. Next up is the PDFA Cup Round of 16 fixture against Horndean on Wednesday evening at Westleigh Park.

FULL TIME: HAVANT AND WATERLOOVILLE 0-3 POOLE TOWN

Havant and Waterlooville: Ferdinand (GK), Taylor (Aston 87’), Atangana (Rooney 61’), Milner-Smith, Willson, Pendlebury, Seager (C), Maloney (Giwa-McNeil 61’), Whittingham (Küsel-Gabriel 80’), Thorpe, Laidlaw

Unused Subs: Goddard

Cautions: Whittingham 43’

Poole Town: Parkes (GK), R. Campbell (C), Lowes, K. Campbell, Davis, Gwengwe, Ayo (Hill 71’), Saied (Rowles 90+4’), Slade, Jordan, Diaz

Unused Subs: Dore, Spalding

Cautions: Parkes 14’, K. Campbell 31’, Ayo 56’

Goals: Jordan 45’, Gwengwe 54’, Slade 77’

Attendance: 688

Player of the Match: Harry Thorpe