The loss today to Walton & Hersham ensured a 4-point gap between the two teams who remain in the same positions as they were from the start of the day.

In an eventful first half it was the visitors who took the lead in the 8th minute, a corner was played short with the ball eventually being played into the box with Dawid Rogalski taking a touch and shooting on the swivel past Ben Dudzinski into the bottom left-hand corner.

It was an instant response from the Hawks just two minutes after the restart. Great work from Leon Maloney who played the ball out to the right-hand side to Devante Stanley crossing the ball into Ryan Seager who excellently volleyed the ball into the net.

With the clock on the 16th minute The Swans were denied by a heroic goal line clearance by the captain Joseph McNerney throwing himself in front of the ball after Dudzinski was closed down with the ball at his feet. Resulting from the block, McNerney was forced off with an injury.

Thirty-three minutes had past when a big call from the referee, Robert Harrison, gave Walton & Hersham a penalty won by Thabo Kuaho. The penalty was cooly dispatched down the middle by the number 9 Rogalski for his second of the match.

Yet again it was a quick response from The Hawks as neat build-up play ended with a cross by Nigel Atangana which caused confusion between goalkeeper Josiah Barker and defender Julian Eccleston with the latter ricocheting the ball into his own net in the thirty-seventh minute.

A couple more chances fell the way of Havant & Waterlooville before the interval but a mix of good defending and goal keeping denied a lead at half-time.

HALF TIME: HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE 2-2 WALTON & HERSHAM

The second half had a lacklustre start to things until the sixtieth minute when Devante Stanley received two bookings in quick succession with the second seeming harsh as a 50/50 between Walton & Hersham goalkeeper Barker and Stanley was adjudged to be a foul against the Havant number 2.

After that, resolute defending and work rate was undone late on in heart-breaking fashion in the ninetieth minute. Multiple blocks from the home team eventually fell kindly to the oncoming Elliott Bolton who rifled a low shot into the corner giving the away team the lead heading into six additional minutes.

Those six minutes were managed well by the visiting team who took all three points at Westleigh Park ensuring Havant and Waterlooville wouldn’t climb above them in the standings.

FULL TIME: HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE 2-3 WALTON & HERSHAM

Havant & Waterlooville: Dudzinski (GK), Stanley, Atangana, McNerney (C) (Austin 21’), Willson, Seager, Maloney, Kealy (Swann 88’), Dockerill, Anderson, Laidlaw

Unused Subs: Walker-Harris (GK), Lee, Aston

Cautions: Laidlaw 7’, Dudzinski 8’, Stanley 58’, Walker-Harris 62′, Willson 64’, Anderson 90+5

Sent Off: Stanley 60′

Goals: Seager 10’, Eccleston (OG) 37’

Walton & Hersham: Barker (GK), Bolton, Kuaho (Defise 75’), Jones (C), Eccleston, Bolger, Vigrass (Sandah 63’), Obeng (Owusu 63’), Rogalski, Powell (Nuur 90+3’), Jennings

Unused Subs: Body

Cautions: Eccleston 36’, Kuaho 45+2’, Powell 69’

Goals: Rogalski 8’ 34’, Bolton 90’

Attendance: 789

Player of the match: Harvey Laidlaw

Report by: Max Cochran