MATCH REPORT: Havant & Waterlooville 2-4 Chippenham Town | National League South | Saturday 12th August 2023

An incident packed match saw the Bluebirds come from behind to record one of their most impressive away performances in the National South, both sides had a man dismissed in the first half whilst five home players and three Bluebirds were booked along with both managers.

Only a late goal from Worthing saw the Bluebirds denied top spot in the fledgling table albeit from only two games.

In the opening seconds Tyreke Johnson’s cross was just out of the reach of Craig Fasanmade.

On three minutes the Hawks Jake McCarthy tried his luck from distance but was off target.

On six minutes Caine Bradbury’s free kick was met by Aaron Amadi-Holloway who netted but the effort was ruled out for off side.

Havant opened the scoring on seventeen minutes in their first real attack as Ansu Jenneh flicked the ball to James Roberts who bent the ball home.

Midway through the half Fasanmade played in Ed Jones whose shot was blocked for a corner from which Amadi-Holloway appeared to be fouled in the area but appeals for a  penalty were ignored by the referee.

Callum Kealey then found Tom Mehew inside the area but the former Bluebird player was unable to take advantage.

Fasanmade then had the ball in the net on twenty eight minutes but again it on was ruled out for offside.

Just past the half hour McCarthy’s two-footed tackle on Jones saw him receive a straight red card and both managers received a yellow card in the aftermath of the incident.

On thirty seven minutes Chippenham equalized as Jake Evans scored direct from a free kick into the top corner for his first goal for the Bluebirds.

Two minutes before the break a Havant free kick found Mo Faal in the area but his shot was off target.

In the forty fifth minute Nat Williams rounded Mehew and let fly from over forty yards and his shot bounced and went though the arms of on loan Norwich City keeper Dylan Berry as he too scored his first Bluebird goal.

His joy was short lived though as less than two minutes later Williams was shown a second yellow card and he too was sent off.

In the fourth minute of stoppage time Will Henry did well to parry a free kick from Roberts.

HALF TIME: Havant & Waterlooville 1-2 Chippenham Town

The Bluebirds sacrificed skipper Matt McClure for defender George Abbott, on loan from Watford, at the break.

On fifty four minutes Roberts headed wide before Henry superbly turned Joe McNerney’s effort behind.

On the hour mark Bradbury found Evans who squeezed his shot across Berry for Chippenham’s third.

Havant responded by making a double substitution. However, to no avail as on sixty six minutes Fasanmade turned and thundered home Chippenham’s fourth.

On seventy three minutes Roberts bent a shot wide before a quarter of an hour from time a lapse of concentration in the Bluebirds defence allowed substitute Billie Busari to tap home.

A minute later Roberts fired wide whilst on eighty minutes a Havant corner saw the Bluebirds defence clear off the line.

Whilst another corner for the hosts three minutes from time saw Henry make a double save.

In the first of six stoppage time minutes Henry again excelled as he saved Ansu Janneh’s close range effort.

FULL TIME: Havant & Waterlooville 2-4 Chippenham Town

Chippenham Town: Will Henry, Ed Jones, Will King, Aaron Amadi-Holloway, Nat Williams, Luke Spokes, Jake Evans, Caine Bradbury, Craig Fasanmade (Alex Bray 74), Jake Evans, Matt McClure (George Abbott 46), Tyreke Johnson subs not used: Owen Windsor, Mal Nicholls, Freddie Grant

Havant & Waterlooville: Dylan Berry, Kai Innocent (Harry Jewitt-White 62), Joe Oastler, Joe McNerney, Ansu Janneh, Jake McCarthy, Tom Mehew, Callum Kealy (Billie Busari 62), Mo Faal (Leon Baker 67), Roari Deacon, James Roberts subs not used: Ross Wormer, Brendan Willson, Leon Baker

Ref: H. Wager