The action sparked into life early, as the Hawks were awarded a penalty in the opening 10 minutes. Up stepped Seager, who made no mistake from the spot, calmly dispatching the ball past the Gosport goalkeeper to notch his 50th goal for the club.
But Gosport responded quickly. Just three minutes later, they were awarded a penalty of their own after the ball struck Austin’s hand inside the area. The hosts converted confidently to bring the game level at 1-1.
Halfway through the half, Maloney was presented with a golden opportunity to put the Hawks back in front. A perfectly weighted ball left him one-on-one with the Gosport keeper, but a heavy touch allowed the ball to roll tamely into the grateful arms of the onrushing keeper.
The Hawks came close again when a clever cushioned header from Maloney teed up Seager. His powerful effort rattled the face of the crossbar, and despite the rebound falling kindly, the Gosport keeper reacted well to collect the ball safely.
As the half drew to a close, Gosport nearly snatched the lead. A corner caused chaos in the Hawks’ box, with the ball crashing against the underside of the bar. Players and fans looked to the linesman, but he ruled the ball hadn’t crossed the line. The Hawks scrambled it clear, and the sides went into the break all square.
HALF TIME: GOSPORT BOROUGH 1-1 HAVANT AND WATERLOOVILLE
The second half began with Gosport looking like the better of the two teams, but the Hawks got themselves back in control midway through the second half.. A well-crafted move saw Kealy link up with Pendlebury, who let fly from the edge of the box, only to see his shot sail narrowly over the bar. Just two minutes later, Pendlebury found himself with another opportunity after Owusu was brought down outside the area. His resulting free-kick was struck with purpose but whistled just wide of the upright.
The Hawks continued to knock on the door, they came agonisingly close to taking the lead. Maloney slipped a smart ball into Stanley inside the box, who fizzed a dangerous ball across the face of the goal, only for Bradbury to arrive a split-second too late to make the vital touch.
The breakthrough finally came in the final 10 minutes. Owusu, a constant threat down the flank, delivered a pinpoint ball into the area, and Seager was on hand to calmly slot home his—and the Hawks’—second goal of the afternoon, sending the away support into raptures.
As the match approached its conclusion, the Hawks looked to seal it. In the 90th minute, Bradbury was picked out brilliantly by Swann and unleashed a low effort that was somehow denied by the outstretched boot of Gosport keeper Adam Parkes. Just moments later, Bradbury found himself one-on-one again, but Parkes stood firm, turning the ball behind for a corner and keeping his side’s hopes alive.
Despite the late flurry of chances, the Hawks couldn’t add to their tally, but the second-half performance was full of attacking purpose and ultimately enough to secure a hard-fought and deserved derby victory. Next up for the Hawks is the all-important final game of the season at home to Wimborne Town on Saturday, with the play-offs on the line.
FULL TIME: GOSPORT BOROUGH 1-2 HAVANT AND WATERLOOVILLE
Gosport Borough: Parkes (GK), Payce (Stanley 82’), Wassmer, Morison, Tarbuck, Yearwood, Wooden (C), Nwachuku, Lee, Hollands, Murray
Unused Subs: Walsh-Smith, Sharp, Jones, Towse
Cautions: Morison 45+5’, Hollands 47’
Goals: Yearwood 14’
Havant and Waterlooville: Ferdinand (GK), Stanley, Austin, Atangana (C) (Aston 31’), Willson, Seager, Maloney (Whittingham 79’), Kealy (Bradbury 69’), Pendlebury, Owusu (Swann 89’), Laidlaw (Milner-Smith 67’)
Cautions: Pendlebury 45+5’, Kealy 45+5’, Laidlaw 52’
Goals: Seager 10’, 82’
Attendance: 1,410
Report By: Alex McNeice