It took just five minutes for the deadlock to be broken at Westleigh Park as it was the home side who took an early lead. Leon Maloney’s corner was knocked into the path of Seager by George Milner-Smith. Seager set it across to Callum Kealy who finished from close range to give the Hawks an advantage in the tie.

Olly Pendlebury came agonisingly close to doubling the lead in rather unorthodox fashion, he swung a searching ball towards the back post which very almost snuck in at the last second but in the end wouldn’t get a decisive touch.

The visitors didn’t take long to grow into the tie after going behind, fashioning an excellent opportunity for a leveller. David Sims-Burgess was on the end of a ball in behind from Liam Angel and he looked to loft his effort over Lorenz Ferdinand. Backpedalling, the young Goalkeeper was able to tip onto his own crossbar at full stretch before Reuben Austin could clear the rebound away. A brilliant acrobatic stop in Ferdinand’s first real test in the tie.

Chances would continue to come for the home side as a Seager met a delivery from Devante Stanley, he glanced the header goal wards but the effort flew just wide.

A great spell around the half-hour mark would see the Hawks have a number of opportunities in quick succession to add to their lead Kealy and Pendlebury saw efforts in different moves end in the same outcome, a Brabham save, before Nana Owusu would win the Hawks a corner as Supermarine got a block in. Maloney would once again call Brabham into action as the visiting shot stopper was equal to Leon’s effort.

Just minutes later, the Hawks carved the Supermarine defence apart again as Reuben Austin intercepted a pass and drove forwards. He slipped a ball wide to Kealy who set Seager in the middle but, striking first time, he couldn’t find the target with his effort.

Supermarine would leave the Hawks ruing their missed chances as Harry Williams would level the tie in the next attack, Zackariah Kotwica would clip a ball over the defensive line and Williams would run onto the ball into the box, he chipped his effort over Ferdinand to level the tie once again.

Immediately from kick-off, the Hawks had it in the net again through Seager but were denied by a late offside flag, cutting the celebrations short. Austin collected from Milner-Smith on the edge of his own area and carried forwards, he cut through the heart of the Supermarine midfield running from penalty area to penalty area. He played Seager through and he finished the move excellently but as he wheeled off in celebration the flag went up and ruled the goal out.

The Hawks pressed on with opportunities falling to Kealy and Owusu unable to be converted but just before the break it was the visitors who took the lead. The possession was given away cheaply as Peare won in the air, it was worked forward to Kotwica who slipped a ball into the channel for the run of Michael Elias-Fernandes who carried forward and from close range hammered an effort into the top corner.

Maloney would be just inches away from finding an equaliser on the stroke of the break. In space on the edge of the area, he rattled an effort off the woodwork with Brabham beaten.

HALF TIME: HAVANT AND WATERLOOVILLE 1-2 SWINDON SUPERMARINE

A fast start to the second period really set the tone for how the rest of the game would pan out, the Hawks were dominant throughout and the move that tied the game at 2-2 showed what more was to come. After Dworzak intercepted from Owusu, he looked to try and carry Supermarine forwards. He was met by a sliding tackle from both Leon Maloney and Harvey Laidlaw that stopped him in his tracks. Maloney brought the Hawks forwards as he picked out Callum Kealy, he slid the ball across to Ryan Seager who finished a fine move from close range to make for an interesting 40 minutes.

Approaching the hour mark a flurry of chances for the Hawks saw the continued search for the lead. Seager was only able to fire over from a Whittingham cross before Kealy denied by a last ditch block moments later. In the final third again, Seager was kept out by Brabham followed by some hard defensive work from the visitors kept the scores level.

More chances would continue to fall the way of the Hawks but they just wouldn’t stick as each time they looked to punish, Supermarine seemed to have the answers.

Ryan Seager would fire the Hawks back into the lead as he found the net with 15 left on the clock. Maloney picked out substitute Reuben Swann in space, he drove down the wing before putting an inch perfect cross into the path of Seager for him to sweep home for his second of the afternoon.

Swann was involved again minutes after the restart, driving into the area he went down under contact from Peare. Despite huge Hawks appeals, the officials deemed it fair and played on.

As time ticked on in the tie, the Hawks looked to see the game out but Supermarine would probe and look for an equaliser. In added time, the golden chance would show itself to substitute Oliver Mehew. He nipped in ahead of Ferdinand looking to gather a ball back before Mehew got a strike away under pressure from Milner-Smith at a tight angle. Reuben Austin recovering onto his goal line was on hand to clear away and preserve a vital three points.

FULL TIME: HAVANT AND WATERLOOVILLE 3-2 SWINDON SUPERMARINE

 

Havant and Waterlooville: Ferdinand (GK), Stanley (Whittingham 46′), Austin, Seager (C), Maloney, Kealy (Tshaka 90+3′), Pendlebury, Owusu (Swann 69′), Milner-Smith, Dockerill, Laidlaw

Unused Subs: Walker-Harris (GK), Aston

Cautions: Whittingham 68′, Dockerill 86′

Goals: Kealy 5′, Seager 49′, 75′

 

Swindon Supermarine: Brabham (GK), Turl, Angel (Lee 63′), Edge (C) (Reivers 89′), Richards, Dworzak (Spalding 63′), Kotwica, Peare, Williams (Vine 89′), Elias-Fernandes, Sims-Burgess (Mehew 79′)

Unused Subs: N/A

Cautions: Elias-Fernandes 35′

Goals: Williams 34′, Elias-Fernandes 43′

 

Attendance: 820

Player of the Match: Ryan Seager (Havant & Waterlooville)

 

Report By: Josh Verroken