A fiery start to the fixture saw a number of cautions dished out early before the first chance of the game fell to Olly Pendlebury on nine minutes. He worked the ball nicely into space and got the strike away but Henry Blackledge was down well to save and hold.
A big turning point came 12 minutes into the tie, as Joseph Morrison saw red after the referee deemed his tackle on Ryan Seager enough for a sending off as the Hawks number 9 looked to flick the ball past Morrison towards the area. Harvey Laidlaw took the resulting freekick but Blackledge was equal to it.
Not long after being reduced to 10, the hosts made a double substitution to reshuffle their personnel and shape. Rafa Ramos and the already cautioned Trevor Caborn were withdrawn and replaced by Finley Walsh-Smith and former Hawk Kaya Tshaka.
These changes would keep the Hawks at bay for just 10 minutes before Brendan Willson found the opening goal of the game. Olly Pendlebury sent an excellent delivery into the penalty area. With Willson having lost his man, he had a free header in the 6-yard area which he powered past Blackledge before wheeling off in celebration after netting his second in as many games.
Getting straight onto the front foot again after taking the lead, the one goal advantage would shortly turn into two for the Hawks. A Pendlebury delivery from deep was spilt by Blackledge and Ryan Seager would collect. He looked to bend an effort at goal but Blackledge recovered well to save. The rebound fell as far as Leon Maloney who set the ball off to Mitchell Aston, he had Tshaka and Tarbuck for company and as he looked to turn into space was fouled by Tarbuck with the referee left no choice but to point to the spot.
Ryan Seager stepped up to the task and buried his penalty with power and precision to give the Hawks a much deserved two goal advantage with the break approaching.
Two very nearly became three in the final minutes of the half as Leon Maloney sent a dangerous looking delivery into the Gosport area. Building the move nicely, the ball was worked across all areas of the pitch as the Hawks probed Gosport’s defensive line well. Despite having two on him, Maloney found the space to cross and the ball was met by the head of Harry Thorpe. He flicked at goal but was denied by a reaction save from Blackledge who kept the scores as they were.
The Hawks pressure continued as the break approached but Gosport would defend well and would definitely have been the happier of the two sides to see the half-time whistle to give them an opportunity to regroup. On the flip side, Aaron Martin’s side had a certain swagger about their game in the first period and would definitely be looking to build on that into the second half, especially with the man advantage.
However, a big part of the second half would be ensuring that the Hawks would remain disciplined as to not give the referee any further reason to even the teams up.
Half Time: Gosport Borough 0-2 Havant and Waterlooville
Starting just as the second half finished, the Hawks began on the front foot and fashioned an early opportunity to further extend their lead. Olly Pendlebury picked out the movement of Seager who struck at goal but was denied by Blackledge.
Minutes later, another good chance fell to Harvey Laidlaw to strike as the hosts failed to clear a corner but his effort was unable to find the target.
Opportunities would continue to be created but the visitors unable to capitalise. Taylor would send a ball forwards and Seager would find himself in behind with Maloney in support. Unfortunately it just didn’t sit for Seager as the bouncing ball evaded his control.
Discipline proved to have a big impact over the course of the game and Gosport were lucky not to be reduced to 9 as Kaya Tshaka put in an awful challenge on Olly Pendlebury, but he escaped with only a caution. The first half substitute was withdrawn just minutes later on the hour mark, a change that may well have prevented a second caution for any further infringements.
There was still the need for Aaron Martin’s side to stay switched on defensively and Lorenz Ferdinand stepped up when called upon making a key stop to deny the hosts following a delivery from deep.
Ryan Seager thought he had his second and the Hawks third of the afternoon as he turned home from Harvey Laidlaw’s delivery after making a darting run into the area, but a raised flag on the far side ruled the goal out for offside.
The pressure would continue from the Hawks as Paul Rooney would come close. Taylor’s delivery was looking for Maloney but didn’t quite find him. The loose ball fell to Rooney who saw his effort denied by Blackledge.
Approaching the final fifteen minutes of the tie, the Hawks were awarded a second penalty of the game. Harvey Laidlaw sent a delivery into the area before Seager was fouled by Blackledge leaving the referee to point to the spot. The skipper stepped up again and delivered the same outcome burying the penalty past Blackledge once more.
Not relenting in their efforts to find more goals, Freddie Taylor would take aim from range. He struck it well but narrowly missed the target.
Ryan Seager would complete his hat-trick just inside the 90. After some great play from Reuben Swann on the nearside, he set the ball inside to Daniel Fosu. Despite being fouled, he worked the ball forward to Paul Rooney who had made a run into the channel. With Walsh-Smith for company, Rooney shifted the ball onto his left before bending an inch-perfect through ball to Seager who’s touch took him across the front of Williams before finishing past Blackledge wrapping up an excellent win.
The Hawks had executed a simply brilliant Boxing Day victory in PO12 leaving nothing else to do but thank the travelling contingent and leave with all 3 points to wrap up 2025 with a bang.
Full Time: Gosport Borough 0-4 Havant and Waterlooville
Gosport Borough: Blackledge (GK), Read, Williams, Morrison, Tarbuck, Tomasso (Jones 76′), Ramos (Walsh-Smith 22′), Caborn (Tshaka 22′ (Cook 59′)), Fernandes (Wooden 59′), Greenwood, Taylor
Cautions: Caborn 8′, Williams 12′, Tshaka 56′, Howes 64′, Summerhill 73′, Greenwood 90+4′
Sent-Off: Morrison 12′
Havant & Waterlooville: Ferdinand (GK), Taylor, Milner-Smith, Willson, Pendlebury (Swann 81′), Seager, Maloney (Fosu 67′), Thorpe (Giwa-McNeil 81′), Rooney (Owusu 90+2′), Aston, Laidlaw
Unused Sub: Goddard
Cautions: Thorpe 8′, Taylor 23′
Goals: Willson 33′, Seager 36′ (P), 75′ (P), 89′