The Hawks immediately got themselves on the front foot in the tie, looking dangerous when coming forwards. The breakthrough would come after just 8 minutes with the skipper Ryan Seager getting on the scoresheet.
Harvey Laidlaw’s freekick was met by the head of Brendan Willson who nodded into a dangerous area. The ball wasn’t fully dealt with by Yate Town’s defensive line as the clearance went only as far as Olly Pendlebury who could spread the ball wide to Willson once more. The centre-back opened up and played a delightful first time clip on his left foot towards the back post where Ryan Seager was lurking to head past Sainsbury, giving the visitors a deserved early advantage.
Another excellent move from the Hawks saw Leon Maloney bag our second of the afternoon after just 11 minutes of the tie. After Olly Pendlebury pressed Jack Hooper high up the field of play, he forced Hooper into a loose pass. Brendan Willson won his battle to the loose ball in the centre of the park as Paul Rooney came away with possession. He clipped an exquisite through ball into the channel for Harry Thorpe to run on to. Thorpe pulled a first-time pass back to the late run of Leon Maloney who struck a first-time finish into the top corner. A swooping Hawks move finished off in style!
The hosts settled into the game and got a goal back through Corey Evans after he was set the ball out wide before driving into the channel before finding the bottom corner with his effort.
The remaining minutes of the first half were well controlled by the Hawks as they ensured they held the lead into the interval with an interesting second half in store.
Half Time: Yate Town 1-2 Havant & Waterlooville
It would be the hosts who would have the first sight of goal as a couple of chances in quick succession would fall to Jack Hooper and Adulai Sambu. Ferdinand would save from Hooper before Sambu’s mishit was dealt with well by the Hawks defensive line.
Harry Thorpe didn’t take long to have a chance of his own for the Hawks as he met Harvey Laidlaw’s delivery but unfortunately he was only able to head wide.
The second half held a theme of half sights at goal being created but neither keeper was too heavily challenged in the second period.
With just under 15 minutes remaining in the tie, Harvey Laidlaw had an opening to strike with his effort whistling just wide of the Yate Town goal
Defensively, the Hawks continued to remain relatively unthreatened as the determination and discipline of Aaron Martin’s Hawks shone through. The closest that Yate came to levelling the tie was through James Ollis but Ferdinand was equal to it, tipping the effort over the bar.
The Hawks victory inflicted Yate Town’s second league defeat at home this season whilst securing back-to-back wins for the first time since mid-September much to the delight of the travelling Hawks fans!
Full Time: Yate Town 1-2 Havant & Waterlooville
Yate Town: Sainsbury (GK), Larvin, James (C) (Jackson 76′), Ollis, Mannings (Tomlinson 76′), Sambu, Jenkins (Taylor 68′), Monks (Britton 86′), Bennett (Ball 86′), Hooper, Evans
Goal: Evans 39′
Cautions: Bennett 34′, Unknown 45+3′, Monks 61′, James 86′, Britton 90+1′
Havant and Waterlooville: Ferdinand (GK), Taylor, Milner-Smith, Willson, Pendlebury, Seager, Maloney (Nkwonta 75′), Thorpe (Fosu 75′), Rooney, Aston, Laidlaw
Unused Subs: Giwa-McNeil, Owusu, Goddard
Goals: Seager 8′, Maloney 11′
Caution: Taylor 81′
Attendance: 427
Report By: Josh Verroken