Late Hayfield goal rescues Havant point

Dan Hayfield struck an 85th minute equaliser this afternoon against Havant & Waterlooville but the Romans will feel it is two points dropped after creating enough chances to beat the struggling Hawks.

To be fair to the home side, after taking a 13th minute lead, they battled as you would expect from a side facing a return Step 7 football, but on another day it was a game City would have comfortably won. Ewan Clark had already been denied by a great block from McNerney before a swift break saw Josey Casa-Grande save well from Seager but the ball dropped kindly for Whittingham to net from from eight yards. The Hawks were now content to disrupt play whenever possible, with Clark on the receiving end of a series of fouls. Despite this City fashioned several clear openings as the half progressed. Tom Smith failed to get enough power on a shot from an Elliott Frear cross before Clark and Cooke failed to trouble keeper Worner after getting in behind the Havant defence. The best chance saw Hayfield and Smith reach for another Frear centre but the latter could only divert the ball into Worner’s arms.

Havant started the second half brightly, Casa-Grande turning Seager’s 52nd minute effort away for a corner, but City were soon back on top. Just past the hour mark more great work by Clark saw his low cross diverted over the goal at full-stretch by Cooke. Further half-chances came and went but with five minutes left City’s pressure finally told, when substitute James Alabi diverted a bouncing ball into the path of Hayfield to blast it into the roof of the net from a narrow angle. The win was there for the taking now and Hayfield slipped Clark in only for Worner to block his shot with his legs. Then with the final kick of the game Hayfield flashed the ball across the Havant six-yard box where Scott Wilson looked certain to score but he somehow diverted it wide from four yards out.