A rejuvenated Hawks side made it three wins on the bounce when they beat mid-table Taunton Town 3-0 at Westleigh Park on Saturday. Goals from Ben Morgan and Kai Innocent secured the win for Havant. The Hawks took on the Peacocks off the back of a massive 2-0 win against Hemel Hempstead in midweek. 

Taunton kicked off, but the Hawks were the team on top from the start. Harry Jewitt-White carried on right where he left off against Hemel, getting stuck into some nasty challenges straight away. The Hawks found themselves with a free kick in the 2nd minute that was taken by Roarie Deacon, who crossed the ball into the box and found Joe McNerney. McNerney laid the ball off to Jewitt-White, who tried to curl his shot into the bottom corner, but it was seen wide by Peacocks stopper Dan Lavercombe. The Hawks found themselves in a great position again seconds later. James Roberts was able to find Devante Stanley, whose shot from outside the box came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock. Havant kept pressing, and in the 5th minute Roberts burst into the Peacocks half, laying the ball off to Ryan Seager, who found Jewitt-White on the edge of the box. Harrys shot came close but was put wide by the Peacocks stopper for a corner. Stanley stepped up for the corner kick, whipping the ball into the box and finding the head of McNerney. The centre-backs headed shot was only able to find the side of the post, but the rebounded ball was smashed into the back of the net from two yards by Ben Morgan to make the score 1-0 to the Hawks. 

Havant did not slow down after this, with Kiernan Philips and Roberts constantly winning the ball in the middle of the park and providing chances for the attackers. There were a few chances from Seager and Jewitt-White, but the Hawks forwards couldn’t get enough on their shots to test Lavercombe. Taunton were presented with a chance in the 13th minute after winning a free kick when McNerney pulled down Zac Smith. The ball was put into the box by Joe Guest but was calmly collected by Ross Warner. The Hawks bit back straight after this. Roberts collected the ball and sped down the left-hand side, crossing the ball into Deacon’s feet. The Hawks number 20 took his shot well, but he put it slightly wide.  McNerney was riding his luck with a few questionable fouls, and this caught up with him in the 18th minute when the Hawks man was given the first yellow card of the game for pulling the shirt of a Taunton player in the air. 

In the 25th minute the Hawks had the best chance since the goal, when after a sustained attack on the Taunton defence, Roberts received the ball from Deacon on the edge of the box. The Hawks winger found his way past the Taunton defender with some tricky footwork, and his strong shot was saved by the fingertips of Lavercombe, putting the ball out for a throw. Nat Jarvis sustained a head injury on 28 minutes, so a quick water break allowed both teams to regroup. 

The Taunton players were soaking up the Hawks attack, but this didn’t stop Havant. In the 31st minutes Roberts again got past the Taunton back line and found McNerney in the box with a great cross. The Havant defender couldn’t really get much on the ball and his header was calmly collected by Lavercombe. The Taunton players were resulting to fouling to stop the Hawks players. In the 34th minute, Dylan Morgan received the second yellow card of the game when he took down Stanley. Taunton were lucky to not concede a penalty after the ball seemed to hit a Taunton player in the box, but the referee waived play to continue. Play was stopped in the 37th minute when Stearn was taken down in the centre circle, with the medical team having to be brought on. Play was resumed in the 39th minute and Stearn walked off ok. Taunton had their best chance of the game after this. Captain Jake McCarthy didn’t spot the ball which went through his legs and too the feet of Smith. Smith crossed the ball into the box and to the feet of Jarvis, who couldn’t get his shot off. The ball went out on the left-hand side for a throw. This was taken by Ollie Chamberlain and put into the box, finding the head of Stearn, whose tame header from point blank range was calmly collected by Worner. Jarvis was lucky not to receive a red card when in the 43rd minute the number 9’s elbow found the face of Morgan. After speaking to the linesman, the referee deemed the foul to only be worth a yellow card. 

5 minutes were added onto the game, and Taunton were looking better in attack. The Hawks defence stood strong though. In the 46th minute Deacon gave away a free kick just outside the Hawks box. This was taken by Stearn, who hit the wall and sent the ball off the pitch. The rest of the added time was uneventful, and the Hawks went into the break 1-0 up. 

HALF TIME: Havant and Waterlooville 1-0 Taunton Town

Taunton came out the blocks quickly at the start of the second half, pressing Worner and forcing him to have to kick the ball out of play a few times. The first chance of the half fell to the Hawks though, when Roberts was able to get a shot off on the edge of the box. His shot came close to doubling the lead, but it was deflected and sent out for a corner. The Hawks were finding a lot of luck through Roberts all game, with the experienced winger constantly bursting into the box and providing the midfield with great options.

Taunton were piling on pressure, and in the 54th minute the Peacocks could have scored when Stearn got around most of the Hawks defence and through on goal. However, McNerney was able to get the ball out of danger after a last man tackle on the veteran striker. A foul was given in the 55th minute when Deacon was tackled to the floor by a Taunton shirt. A free kick was awarded and taken by Deacon. The ball was whipped in and found the head of Morgan, who couldn’t quite find the net. Taunton were well on the back foot, and the Hawks capitalised on this in the 60th minute. Kieran Philips beat the offside trap and smashed the ball into the path of Taunton captain Nick Grimes, whose deflection carried the ball into the net, making the score 2-0 to the Hawks.  

Deacon was given a yellow card in the 63rd minute after he put in a harsh tackle on a Taunton player, resulting in a free kick to the Peacocks which came to nothing. Taunton made the first subs of the game in the 64th minute, bringing on Malachi Linton and Cam Evans for Jarvis and Stearn. Taunton tried to reduce the Havant advantage in the 70th minute, when Quest was able to get a shot off in the Havant box, but Worner was able to send it out for a corner with his fingertips. The Hawks made a sub of their own in the 71st minute, bringing on Jack Jebb for Deacon. Taunton man Grimes received a yellow card in the 73rd minute when he pulled back Roberts after the Hawks player ran past him. Taunton made another sub in the 76th minute, bringing on fan favourite Nick McCootie for Lloyd James. Stanley was given a yellow card in the 78th minute due to the Hawks man time wasting. Taunton fans were in uproar in the 80th minute when McCootie was brought down in the Hawks box, but the referee rightly called no penalty. Taunton were pushing though, and Worner had to pull off a great save from a Smith shot from outside the box. The Hawks clapped back instantly, when Smith accidently passed to Roberts deep in the Peacocks half. Roberts was able to cross the ball along the ground in the box to Seager, whose point-blank shot was saved by Lavercombe. This chance really spurred the Hawks on. In the 84th minute, Kai Innocent picked the ball up deep in the Havant half, running the entire distance of the pitch and smashing the ball past Lavercombe to make the score 3-0 to the Hawks. 

Taunton seemed fed up and tired at this point, causing Smith to clatter into Stanley, resulting in a yellow card for the Taunton man. 5 minutes were added on, and McCarthy almost made it 4-0 when his header went narrowly wide. The Hawks brought on Jafer Mahammad-Kier for Seager for the final few minutes of the game. Taunton threw their toys out the pram in the final minute, after Worner collected a cross and took down a Taunton player. Guest was given a yellow card because of dissent, but before play could resume Jebb also received a yellow. The final whistle was blown right after this, making the final score 3-0 to The Hawks. Morgan was named man of the match for the game. The Hawks will take the feel-good feeling on the road next week, when they take on Truro City on Saturday the 23rd at Bolitho Park, home of Plymouth Parkway.  

FULL TIME: Havant and Waterlooville 3-0 Taunton Town

Havant and Waterlooville: Worner (GK), Stanley, Innocent, McNerney, Morgan, McCarthy (C), Phillips (Spence 85′), Seager (Mahammad-Kier 90+2′), Jewitt-White, Deacon (Jebb 71′), Roberts

Goals: Morgan (5), Grimes (OG, 59), Innocent (84)

Unused subs: Zouma, Baker

Yellow cards: McNerney (18), Deacon (63), Stanley (78), Jebb (90+3)

Taunton: Lavercombe (GK), Grimes (C), Ball, Booth, Chamberlain, James (McCootie 76′), Jarvis (Linton 64′), Guest, Stearn (Evans 64′), Smith, Morgan

Goals: N/A  

Unused subs: Irish (GK), Lucas

Yellow cards: Morgan (34), Jarvis (44), Grimes (73), Smith (86), Guest (90+3)

Attendance: 766

Report by Harry Ince